GLOBAL JOURNAL OF FISHERIES SCIENCE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2782-750X
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/GJFS
Start Year: 2018
Email: gjfs@integrityresjournals.org
Microbial assessment of Clarias gariepinus fillets fed defatted and non-defatted sundried black soldier fly larvae meal
https://doi.org/10.31248/GJFS2025.088 | Article Number: 5531E40F4 | Vol.7 (3) - August 2025
Received Date: 11 July 2025 | Accepted Date: 20 August 2025 | Published Date: 30 August 2025
Authors: Kafayat Aina Iyapo* , Bamidele Oluwarotimi Omitoyin , Emmanuel Kolawole Ajani and Oladeji Kazeem Kareem
Aquaculture production in Nigeria is hindered by the dependence on fishmeal as the main protein source in fish feed. Consequently, there is a need to explore alternative protein sources that is cost-effective, sustainable and pose no risk to consumers. This study evaluated the microbial loads and isolates in Clarias gariepinus fillets fed defatted (DF) and non-defatted (NDF) sundried black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) diets over a period of 21 storage days with assessments at day 0, 7th, 14th and 21st, after 168 days of feeding trials. Fishmeal was replaced with DF and NDF sundried BSFLM at varying inclusion levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% in the diets of Clarias gariepinus, which were fed for a period of 168 days. Following the feeding trial, the fish were saline-rinsed, filleted, and sealed in double polyethylene bags. The fillets underwent boiling for 20 minutes, after which the fish were foil-wrapped, grouped in ziplock bags, labelled and stored at 4°C for 21 days in a chest freezer. Microbial analysis was estimated for each labelled ziplock bag sample at days 0, 7th, 14th, and 21st of the storage period, assessing total bacterial count (TBC), total coliform count (TCC), mould yeast, and microbe isolates. The results obtained showed that at day zero of storage, the highest TBC (8.0 x 105 CFU/g) was observed in fillets fed 75% defatted BSFLM, with Bacillus and Candida spp. dominating the isolates. At seven days of storage, the TBC ranged from 1.02 x102 CFU/g (0% defatted BSFLM) to 9.6 x105 CFU/g (75% defatted BSFLM), with Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Candida spp. being the most persistent isolates. At the twenty-first day of storage, TBC in fish fillets fed 0% and 25% defatted BSFLM were more than 300 colony counts, which were recorded as too numerous to count because it has exceeded permissible limits for consumption, and a broader spectrum of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus, Aspergillus spp., and Klebsiella spp., were isolated. This study concluded that catfish fillets fed defatted and non-defatted sundried BSFLM diets should be consumed within a shorter storage period due to the potential microbial risks associated with prolonged storage.
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