{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T23:38:22Z","timestamp":1785454702885,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":105,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774396800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union\u2014NextGenerationEU","award":["CUP D33C22000960007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP D33C22000960007"]}]},{"award":["CUP D33C22000960007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP D33C22000960007"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/019w4f821","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Subadult flathead grey mullets (Mugil cephalus) were fed three experimental diets containing increasing percentages of partially defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSF) that proportionally replaced the protein sources in the reference diet. At the end of the feeding trial, fish growth and gut, liver and spleen histology were evaluated. BSF inclusion did not significantly affect growth performances in any dietary groups. However, Fulton\u2019s condition factor was lower in fish who were fed diets with the highest replacement levels (15% and 20%; BSF15 and BSF20) compared to those fed the 10% replacement (BSF10) and the control diet (BSF0). Histological analyses revealed increased villi thickness and mucous cell proliferation in the intestine of fish from BSF10 and BSF15 groups. A significant worsening of intestinal condition was observed in fish from the BSF20 group. Liver histology was not affected, while a dose-dependent effect on spleen was observed in fish fed BSF inclusions. Despite the absence of enteritis signs, an increase in macrophages\/like TNF-\u03b1+ cells in the intestine mucosa indicated immune stimulation in the BSF10 group. Results indicate, for the first time, a threshold for BSF meal inclusion in diets specifically formulated for flathead grey mullets. The BSF10 diet was optimal, as growth performance was not affected and intestine health improved at both morphological and innate immune system levels.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16071012","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,26]],"date-time":"2026-03-26T13:36:40Z","timestamp":1774532200000},"page":"1012","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Defatted Black Soldier Fly Meal as a Dietary Protein Source for Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus): Effects on Growth Performance, Gut Morphology, Spleen and Liver Health"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5032-413X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Basilio","family":"Randazzo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Via Spianata San Ranieri, 86, 98122 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Letteria","family":"Caccamo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Via Spianata San Ranieri, 86, 98122 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Carboni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"International Marine Centre (IMC), Localit\u00e0. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, 09170 Oristano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2816-6101","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Danilo","family":"Concu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"International Marine Centre (IMC), Localit\u00e0. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, 09170 Oristano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1037-9483","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Gai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, L.go Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4013-2601","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara","family":"Loi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"International Marine Centre (IMC), Localit\u00e0. Sa Mardini, Torre Grande, 09170 Oristano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4830-5020","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Meola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Via Spianata San Ranieri, 86, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4545-7229","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Miccoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Largo Fiera Della Pesca 24, 60125 Ancona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4707-7307","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simone","family":"Mirto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, Loc. Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5237-4990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Rinaldi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, Loc. Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Perdichizzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Via Spianata San Ranieri, 86, 98122 Messina, Italy"},{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2471-4513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dario","family":"Vallainc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy"},{"name":"International Marine Centre (IMC), Localit\u00e0. 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