| Abstrakt: |
Simple Summary: Mosquito vector research and population control strategies are supported by the rearing of species like Aedes aegypti, commonly known for propagating yellow fever. Colonies of Ae. aegypti are typically reared on fresh animal bloods to supply nutrients including iron, sodium chloride, and albumin necessary for reproduction. However, fresh animal blood is difficult to handle, store, and transport, and its use in rearing is limited to two weeks post-collection. The present study reports on the identification of an inexpensive, shelf-stable spray-dried porcine blood (SDPB) product containing accessible hemoglobin that demonstrated usefulness in a simple mosquito alternative meal (AM) formulation. Quantitative evidence that the phagostimulant in SDPB is hemoglobin was obtained through chromatography assays and the elimination of other feeding stimulants as potential candidates. Ae. aegypti observably engorged upon and produced eggs when fed the AM, which was also shown to sustain multiple colony generations with offspring viable through the larval and pupal stages. SDPB-based AMs may develop into platforms for studying the rearing of hematophagous insects with the potential to expand the capabilities of resource-intensive population control strategies. Research into mosquito-borne illnesses faces hurdles because feeding fresh animal blood to rear female mosquitoes presents logistical, economic, and safety challenges. In this study, a shelf-stable additive (spray-dried porcine blood; SDPB) hypothesized to supply accessible hemoglobin was evaluated within an alternative meal (AM) containing whey powder and PBS for rearing the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. LC–MS/MS proteomics, microbial assays, and particle reduction techniques confirmed and characterized the functionality of hemoglobin in SDPB, while engorgement, fecundity, egg viability, and meal stability bioassays assessed AM performance. Chemical assays supported hemoglobin as the phagostimulant in SDPB with aggregates partially solubilized in the AM that can be more accessible via particle reduction. Unpaired two-tailed t-tests indicate that the AM stimulates oogenesis (t11 = 13.6, p = 0.003) and is stable under ambient (1+ y; t12 = 0.576, p = 0.575) and aqueous (14 d; t12 = 0.515, p = 0.639) conditions without decreasing fecundity. Egg hatch rates for the ninth generation of AM-reared Ae. aegypti were 50–70+%. With further development, this meal may serve as a platform for mass rearing or studying effects of nutritional additives on mosquito fitness due to its low cost and stability. Future work may examine tuning spray drying parameters and resulting impacts on hemoglobin agglomeration and feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
