Antimicrobial activity in Pediococcus pentosaceus bacteria and enhancement of Tenebrio molitor larval growth and survival as a dietary supplement. InValuable

Optimizing the production of insects for food and feed and ensuring insect health are growing concerns for insect producers. Insects suffer from a range of insect pathogenic microorganisms, and management of such diseases is essential. One solution is the introduction of beneficial probiotic bacteria into the diet of the insects. Here we show that a bacterial strain, Pediococcus pentosaceus, extracted from the gut of the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, was able to inhibit the growth of selected insect pathogens in vitro. Following in vivo assessments of the fitness benefits of the bacteria and gut microbiome analysis using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we display evidence for the promise of bacteria in improving T. molitor development. Specifically, our results showed a significant effect of the presence of P. pentosaceus on larval growth rate and survival to adulthood. We were also able to confirm that the bacteria successfully colonised the guts of the larvae. Finally, we discuss the unprecedented potential for beneficial bacteria to improve and protect the fast-expanding growth of insect production around the world.