Blowfly (Diptera, Calliphoridae: Calliphora vicina R.-D.) Larvae as Converters of Chicken Blood into Biopharmaceuticals

Blood remaining after poultry slaughter, without appropriate processing, is a potentially hazardous biowaste and environmental pollutant. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possibility of converting chicken blood into high-value-added products using fly biotechnology. Initially, blood is used as a nutrient medium for growing Calliphora vicina larvae. The fly larvae then serve as a eukaryotic system for the biosynthesis of pharmacologically active proteins and peptides. The main product of this technology is a complex of antimicrobial peptides (defensins, cecropins, diptericins, and proline-rich peptides). The properties of this complex, such as a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, efficacy against intractable biofilm infections, high synergy with antibiotics, and lack of toxicity for humans and animals, make it a promising drug candidate. Calculations indicate that processing one ton of chicken blood can produce over 10000 doses of the medicinal product for treating chronic skin and wound infections, providing a thousand-fold increase in the value of final products compared to rendering and blood fermentation.