Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) larvae: A new biodiesel resource

The current energy crisis greatly affects worldwide economic development. Therefore, identifying for new energy resources is critically important. In this study, we introduce a potential biodiesel source: Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) larvae (CML), which are proliferative and can be fed with a variety of low cost materials, such as manure, wheat bran, rotted meat and decayed vegetation. The potential of C. megacephala (Fabricius) larvae oil (CMLO) for biodiesel applications was explored. Oil was extracted from the CML raised by feeding on restaurant garbage for five days. The oil content obtained from the dehydrated CML ranged from 24.40% to 26.29% since restaurant garbage varies in composition day to day. The acid value of the CMLO was tested to be 1.10 mg KOH/g. Four factors were subsequently considered to optimize the transesterification of CMLO to biodiesel. The optimized conditions included a 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 1.6% KOH catalyst, a reaction temperature of 55 °C and a reaction time of 30 min. Under these conditions, the maximum yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from CMLO was 87.71%. Finally, properties of the FAME were within the specifications of ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 biodiesel standards. Therefore, we concluded that C. megacephala (Fabricius) larvae represent a potential alternative feedstock for biodiesel production.