Abstract: 【Aim】 To clarify the accumulation and metabolic transformation of various polyunsaturated fatty acids in food by Musca domestica larvae, and to explore the effects of various polyunsaturated fatty acids on the growth of M. domestica larvae. 【Methods】 Different concentrations (3%, 6% and 12%) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) were added to the basic diet to feed the M. domestica larvae which had been defatted and subcultured for generations, the total fatty acids of M. domestica larvae fed on the feed were extracted, detected and analyzed by gas chromatography, and the body weight of the larvae was detected to assess the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the growth of M. domestia larvae. 【Results】 Linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid were enriched in M. domestica larvae, and their enrichment degree increased with the increase of the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in food. The highest concentrations (the proportion in total fatty acids) of linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid enriched in larvae were 21.93%, 16.13% and 9.68%, respectively, while docosahexaenoic acid could not be enriched in M. domestica larvae, suggesting that polyunsaturated fatty acids added to the larvae of M. domestica have been metabolized without production of new fatty acids in their bodies, while docosahexaenoic acid from food is eliminated after catabolism. The body weight of M. domestica larvae was significantly increased after feeding on diets containing alpha-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid. The larval weight in the 6% alpha-linolenic acid added group was significantly higher than that in the control group (larvae feeding on defatted culture) and 3% and 12% alpha-linolenic acid added groups, and the larval weight in the 3% and 6% arachidonic acid added groups was significantly higher than that in the control group and 12% arachidonic acid added group. 【Conclusion】 M. domestica larvae can enrich some polyunsaturated fatty acids from food. The longer the carbon chain of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the lower the degree of enrichment of polyunsaturated fatty acids until they can not be enriched. The enriched polyunsaturated fatty acids have influences on the growth of M. domestica larvae in different degrees.

Key words: Musca domestica; polyunsaturated fatty acids, gas chromatography, enrichment, metabolic transformation, growth and development