Enzymatic hydrolysis of black soldier fly larvae oil enhances antimicrobial and antioxidant properties across different strains

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) present a sustainable solution for converting organic waste into value-added biomass. However, the bioactive potential of oil extracted from the larvae remains underexplored. This study characterised BSFL oil composition from diverse genetic strains reared on different substrates, focusing on the fatty acid profiles as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities via enzymatic hydrolysis. Overall proximate analysis revealed that moisture, ash, protein, oil and carbohydrate contents ranged from 2.22-4.44%, 6.30-16.97%, 31.74-47.13%, 18.78-50.03% and 5.35-17.73%, respectively. Specifically, fatty acid profile was dominated by lauric (C12:0), palmitic (C16:0), oleic (C18:1), and linoleic acids (C18:2), with relative compositions significantly influences by both substrate type and genetic strain. Whole-cell biocatalyst (WCB) from Rhizopus oryzae exhibited lipase activity of 134.44 U/g, and acheived 79.63-87.67% hydrolysis, releasing free fatty acids. Notably, hydrolysis enhanced antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus (6.80-12.11 mm to 9.38-16.61 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.97-10.20 mm to 8.10-12.00 mm), while maintaining antioxidant activity (IC₅₀: 35.3-108.2 mg/ml in extracts; 28.37-109.65 mg/ml in hydrolysates). These findings suggest enzymatic hydrolysis is an effective strategy to unlock the bioactive compounds in BSFL oil, positioning it as a promising natural antimicrobial and antioxidant source for feed and food applications. © S.A. Putri et al., 2026.