TABLE 3.
Microbial counts during tropical house cricket rearinga
| Sample | Sample day | Microbial count (log CFU/g) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total viable count | Enterobacteriaceae | Lactic acid bacteria | Endospores | Fungi | ||
| Peat-peel mix | 0 | 8.5 ± 0.4 | 6.4 ± 0.7 | 4.3 ± 0.9 | 6.4 ± 0.3 | 6.9 ± 1.0 |
| Feed | 0 | 5.4 ± 0.3 a | 4.5 ± 0.3 a | 1.8 ± 0.2 a | 4.5 ± 0.1 a | 3.6 ± 0.1 a |
| 26 | 5.0 ± 0.3 a | 3.6 ± 0.2 b | 1.8 ± 0.2 a | 4.4 ± 0.3 a | 3.7 ± 0.4 a | |
| Substrate | 12 | 6.3 ± 0.2 a | 4.4 ± 0.1 a | 5.0 ± 0.2 a | 4.3 ± 0.3 a | 3.6 ± 0.4 ab |
| 26 | 6.2 ± 0.3 a | 4.8 ± 0.3 a | 4.7 ± 0.6 a | 4.0 ± 0.4 a | 3.2 ± 0.1 b | |
| 37 | 6.7 ± 0.3 a | 3.6 ± 0.2 b | 3.6 ± 0.5 b | 4.8 ± 0.5 a | 4.0 ± 0.3 a | |
| Crickets | 12 | 8.4 ± 0.1 a | 7.5 ± 0.2 a | 6.7 ± 0.1 a | 3.8 ± 0.2 a | 6.0 ± 0.2 a |
| 26 | 8.2 ± 0.1 a | 7.3 ± 0.5 a | 7.2 ± 0.1 ab | 3.5 ± 0.1 a | 5.4 ± 0.1 b | |
| 40 | 8.5 ± 0.2 aA | 7.2 ± 0.1 aA | 7.8 ± 0.4 bA | 3.7 ± 0.3 aA | 5.6 ± 0.3 abA | |
| Heat-treated cricketsb | 40 | 2.6 ± 0.5 B | <1.5 ± 0.9 B | <1.0 ± 0.0 B | 2.4 ± 0.4 B | <2.0 ± 0.0 B |
a
Data are the mean ± standard deviation values of three replicates. Means per sample with the same lowercase letter within the same column do not differ significantly (P > 0.05). Means from harvested crickets and heat-treated crickets (day 40) with the same uppercase letter within the same column do not differ significantly (P > 0.05).
b
The heat treatment consisted of bringing the crickets to a boil in a kettle with water.