We investigate the effects of the immune function (HI titer) in broilers fed diets containing Hermetia illucens (H. illucens) peptide extract over a 40-day period. Twenty-four broiler chicks (Arbor Acres, 1 d old) were divided into four groups and fed different diets (control, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% H. illucens peptide extract). To evaluate HI titer, all broilers were vaccinated with H9H2 vaccine subcutaneously on the lateral thorax, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Similar HI titer was observed with 1% H. illucens peptide extract treatment compared to the control after 40 days (p>0.01). Groups fed 0.5% H. illucens peptide extract demonstrated the most effective immune effects (p<0.01), followed by groups fed 0.1% H. illucens peptide extract. In conclusion, using 0.1% or 0.5% H. illucens peptide extract before or after vaccination improved HI titer immune function in broilers.

In this study, to provide basic information for design of a large-scale recycling system for fishery by-products, the food nutrient components, fertilizer components, and microbial composition of fertilizers and feed which were made of fishery by-products were analyzed before and after fermentation. The results of the analysis of the edible portion of fishery by-products indicated that calories per 100 g of crustaceans were the highest followed by those of fish and brown algae in order of precedence with values as follows; Korean Krill 94 Kcal, Portunus trituberculatus 65 Kcal, Lophiomus setigerus 58 Kcal, and Undaria pinnatifida 16 Kcal. As for changes in amino acids per 100 g of fishery by-products between before and after fermentation, calories per 100 g of P. trituberculatus decreased by 74.7% from 15.7 g to 4.0 g, that of L. setigerus decreased by 61.1% from 11.9 g to 4.6 g, that of Korean Krill decreased by 53.5% from 11.6 g to 5.4 g, and that of U. pinnatifida decreased by 49.4% from 1.7 g to 0.9 g. Among amino acids, those contained in fishery by-product fertilizers (liquid fertilizer) in large amounts were shown to be Glutaminic acid, Aspartic acid, Glycine, Lysin, and Leucine. The lipid content of Korean Krill decreased by 11.9% from 3.2 g to 2.8 g, that of L. setigerus increased by 2.0 times from 1.1 g to 2.2 g, that of P. trituberculatus increased by 4.5 times from 0.4 g to 1.7 g, and that of U. pinnatifida increased by 9.4 times from 0.2 g to 1.9 g. The ash (mineral) content of P. trituberculatus decreased by 82.5% from 26.2 g to 4.6 g, that of U. pinnatifida increased by 27.6% from 3.3 g to 4.2 g, that of Korean Krill increased by 21.9% from 3.1 g to 3.8 g, and that of L. setigerus increased by 88.7% from 1.2 g to 2.2 g. The microbial composition of liquid fertilizer using recycled fishery by-products was shown to be Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Fungi, Yeast, and Lactobacillus sp.