Industry News, Agriculture & Feed, Feed, Food & Nutrition

Study: Innovafeed Demonstrates Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Insect-Based Ingredient

Study: Innovafeed Demonstrates Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Insect-Based Ingredient

Industry News Tracker | Pet Food Processing | Publication date not specified in the supplied source
Read Original Full Article at Pet Food Processing

Key Takeaways

Innovafeed and contract research organisation Ambiotis report that the hydrosoluble fraction of Hilucia™ for Pets, an ingredient derived from black soldier fly larvae, selectively modulated cytokine secretion in an in vitro canine whole-blood model. The work evaluated cytokines linked to inflammatory signalling and found lower TNF-α secretion alongside higher IL-10 secretion, a pattern presented as relevant to inflammation resolution while maintaining immune function. At 1 g/L, the ingredient’s effect on TNF-α was reported as comparable with 1 µM dexamethasone in the model. The study also recorded concentration-dependent effects on IL-6, reflecting the cytokine’s dual role in inflammation. Hilucia™ for Pets is positioned for functional pet-food formulations, particularly sensitive diets and products targeting skin and coat health, digestive health, joint support, mobility and weight management. The supplied white paper states that further in vivo work is required to determine dietary inclusion levels capable of producing active concentrations in canine blood.

Technical Details

1. Core Technology / Process
  • Hilucia™ for Pets is derived from black soldier fly larvae reared in France and fed wheat by-products for approximately 15 days.
  • Larvae were blanched, washed, centrifugally defatted and dried to produce defatted black soldier fly larvae meal.
  • The tested material was the concentrated hydrosoluble fraction collected after centrifugation and before drying into the Hilucia™ Protein commercial product.
  • The hydrosoluble fraction contained 40% dry matter and was tested directly in a canine whole-blood assay.
  • Ambiotis conducted the in vitro work using whole blood from male beagles, with lipopolysaccharide used to stimulate an inflammatory response.
  • Cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were measured after a total incubation period of 24 hours.

2. Key Ingredients / Specifications

Material Source / Type Applications Commercial Status
Hilucia™ for Pets hydrosoluble fraction Black soldier fly larvae-derived soluble fraction Functional pet food; sensitive diets; joint-health diets Investigated in vitro
Hilucia™ Protein Defatted black soldier fly larvae-based commercial ingredient Pet food ingredient Commercial product named in the source
Short-chain peptides Bioactive compounds reported in the hydrosoluble fraction Potential contribution to cytokine modulation Not separately specified
Polyphenols Bioactive compounds reported in the hydrosoluble fraction Potential contribution to cytokine modulation Not separately specified
Dexamethasone Reference anti-inflammatory compound Positive control in the whole-blood assay Research control
3. Performance Data
  • 1 g/L of Hilucia™ for Pets hydrosoluble fraction produced a TNF-α effect comparable with 1 µM dexamethasone in the canine blood model (Innovafeed and Ambiotis white paper, 2026).
  • Cytokine responses were assessed at Hilucia™ for Pets hydrosoluble-fraction concentrations ranging from 0.22 g/L to 22.2 g/L (Innovafeed and Ambiotis white paper, 2026).
  • A pre-incubation period of 6 hours was used before inflammatory stimulation, followed by 24 hours of total incubation (Innovafeed and Ambiotis white paper, 2026).
  • Results were presented as means from six replicates with standard deviation; the 3.125 g/L condition was tested across three batches, giving 18 replicates for that concentration (Innovafeed and Ambiotis white paper, 2026).
  • The source proposes a 3% Hilucia™ for Pets inclusion rate in dog kibble as a hypothesis, while explicitly stating that in vivo testing is needed to establish the dietary inclusion level and blood exposure required.
4. Market / Sustainability
  • Innovafeed positions Hilucia™ for Pets as a functional insect-derived ingredient for pet-health-oriented formulations.
  • Suggested application areas include sensitive diets, skin and coat health, digestive health, joint support, mobility and weight management.
  • The supplied materials link the tested ingredient to black soldier fly larvae, peptides and polyphenols, while presenting the work as part of a science-led functional-ingredient approach.
  • No lifecycle, carbon-footprint, certification or regulatory-compliance data are disclosed in the supplied source materials.

AI Editors Context

The reported work centres on cytokine modulation rather than indiscriminate cytokine suppression. In the supplied canine whole-blood model, Hilucia™ for Pets hydrosoluble fraction was associated with reduced TNF-α secretion, increased IL-10 secretion and concentration-dependent IL-6 responses. The test design used dexamethasone as a reference control and measured cytokine output following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. The findings support further assessment of black soldier fly larvae-derived functional ingredients for pet-food applications, but the supplied white paper also identifies a clear development limitation: the relationship between in vitro concentrations and practical dietary inclusion rates remains to be established through additional in vivo testing.

Companies, Chemicals & Uses

Item Contents
Companies Ambiotis, Innovafeed, Merck-Millipore, OCCILIFE
Products / Technologies Hilucia™ for Pets, Hilucia™ Protein, canine whole-blood assay, cytokine modulation, Luminex MAGPIX, Milliplex assay
Materials / Ingredients Black soldier fly larvae, defatted black soldier fly larvae meal, hydrosoluble fraction, IL-6, IL-10, lipopolysaccharide, polyphenols, short-chain peptides, TNF-α
Applications Digestive health, functional pet food, joint support, mobility, sensitive pet diets, skin and coat health, weight management
Keywords Ambiotis, anti-inflammatory pet food, black soldier fly larvae, canine cytokines, functional pet food ingredient, Hilucia for Pets, insect protein, IL-10, pet nutrition, TNF-alpha

Disclaimer

This content is an independent analysis and summary of public industry news for research purposes. All trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners. We are not affiliated with the original publisher.

Copyright of this article resides with Pet Food Processing. The copyright and all other rights in the original work reproduced here remain with the original author and/or publisher. This material is republished strictly to facilitate professional information exchange and advance discussion of industry innovation, without any commercial exploitation or intent to infringe. If you found this summary useful, please consider subscribing to the original source at https://www.petfoodprocessing.net.