Advancing circular economy: Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivation byproducts exploitation in Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.) rearing

Solanaceae family consists of numerous industrial crop producing plants, with most prominent the potato plant ( Solanum tuberosum L.), cultivated globally as foodstuff and industrial crop. Although the potato tubers are widely consumed, the Potato Plant Aerial Parts (PPAPs) are non-valorized because of their rich content in toxic solanine alkaloids. Main goal of this study is the development of an environmentally sound procedure to overcome the toxicity problem of these voluminous toxic residues through the bioconversion of their toxic solanine alkaloids. For this purpose, their potential to function as birdfeed replacement in Black Soldier Fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) larvae rearing diets was investigated. Among the seven studied diets, the birdfeed replacement with 80% PPAPs was determined as the most efficient, since resulted in the optimum larvae growth (21.98% weight gain), welfare and produced insect meal with the best nutritional value displaying a relatively high protein content and the lowest anti-nutrient fiber content. This insect meal was evaluated positively by performing the Daphnia magna model test, verifying the BSF capability to bio-convert the toxic PPAPs residue into safe insect meals. Results herein constitute a significant advance towards the valorization of a toxic industrial plant residue, which was converted to safe, nutritious insect meal, contributing to the resolution of a significant environmental problem.