Protein and Lauric Oil Production from Agricultural Waste Bioconversion by Hermetia Illucens Larvae

The management of residues from the agricultural stage of food production is a priority issue and includes strategies aimed at minimizing environmental impacts.The use of Hermetia illucens larvae as detritivores is a promising alternative, as throughout their development they accumulate oil and protein, whose applications are diverse.In the present work, larvae of H. illucens were fed with different formulations of a mixture of cocoa peel, whey and passion fruit seed.The larvae were characterized in terms of protein content and oil quality produced.It was possible to obtain a larval biomass with up to 36 % oil and 46 % protein.The protein content makes it promising as a feed in livestock.The fatty acid profile of the oil showed a high concentration of C12: 0 (47 %), followed by C18: 2, C16: 0 and C18: 1, which allows it to be characterized as lauric oil, with different applications in the oleochemical industry.