• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1040-1046
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• 2017

We describe the isolation and characterization of six different intestinal microorganisms from the digestive tract of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, we obtained six isolates belonging to four different genera: Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Citrobacter, and Proteus. All the isolates were resistant to ampicillin. Ampicillin is an irreversible inhibitor of the enzymeetranspeptidase, which is needed to make bacterial cell walls. None of the isolates were resistant to kanamycin, which binds to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome and then inhibits total protein synthesis. Gram staining was conducted, in addition to morphological classification under a microscope. Four grampositive isolates and two gram-negative isolates were detected. The gram-positive isolates were GL1 (round shaped, 2 am in diameter), GL2 (rod shaped, $2.5{\mu}m$ in length), GL3 (rod shaped, $2{\mu}m$ in length), and GL4 (round shaped, $1.5{\mu}m$ in diameter). The gram-negative isolates were GL5 (rod shaped, $2{\mu}m$ in length) and GL6 (rod-shaped, $2.5{\mu}m$ in length). Notably, two of the isolates, GL2 and GL4, secreted specific extracellular proteins. These were determined by MALDI-TOF-MS spectral analysis to be a 87 kDa collagenase, 56 kDa hypothetical protein, and 200 kDa hypothetical protein. The six isolates in this study could be used for various biotechnological applications and pest management, both in the field and in greenhouse systems. In addition, it would be interesting to determine the relationship between these isolates and their host.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2013

The aim of the present study is to investigate food consumption, hatching periods, adult mortality, the mean number of hatchlings and ovipositional trend of Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer. The rearing and experiments were conducted in the rearing room ($28{\pm}2^{\circ}C$, $60{\pm}10%$RH). As the adult rearing density increased from 50 to 400, it did not affect the average daily food consumption of adult crickets which was $0.067{\pm}0.008$ g a day. However, the daily radish consumption decreased from 0.128 to 0.068 g per day. 95.8% of eggs hatched by the sixth day after the beginning of hatching. The average mortality of the adults gradually increased, and reached 93.9% by the 8th week. Total number of hatchlings per female was $172.2{\pm}10.6$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) in 200 females rearing cages, which was noticeably less than $248.8{\pm}17.8$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) in 100 females rearing cages. Sex ratio of the crickets given in the rearing cages did not affect both the number of hatchlings and ovipositon rate. Oviposition rate periodically fluctuated as progressed, and it reached 81.5% of the total oviposition by the $3^{rd}$ week since the beginning of ovipoisiton.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.478-482
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• 2020

We evaluated the protective effects of cricket methanol extract (CME) on ultra-violet B (UVB)-induced photoaging in human skin fibroblasts. The fibroblast cells were treated with 10, 50, and 100 ㎍/mL of CME for 24 h, and then exposed to UVB (30 mJ/㎠). CME showed a dose-dependent cytoprotective effect without any observable cytotoxicity. CME reduced UVB-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 34.4, 34.9, 40.6% at concentrations of 10, 50, 100 ㎍/mL respectively. CME inhibited the release of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1 and 3. Furthermore, CME also reduced UVB-induced collagen degradation in the fibroblast cells. Taken together, our data suggests that CME has a significant protective effect on UVB-induced photoaging of the skin. This benefit occurs through multiple mechanisms. The results also suggest a potential role for CME as an ingredient in anti-photoaging cosmetic products in the future.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.163-174
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• 2017

This study aimed to make stock for purpose of reducing visual image, and the stock was used with two-spotted cricket as general food material of edible insects. According to the results, color value was darkest and brownest with increased boiling time, salinity and $^{\circ}Brix$ increased significantly (p<0.001). With increased boiling time, pH and moisture content was the lowest. In the total content of free amino acids was highest in 45 min with boiling time. The quantitative descriptive analysis of two-spotted cricket stock was evaluated, which was the strongest with increased boiling time, and acceptance test was best results in TCS45. Therefore, it was possible to produce stock with excellent sensuality which was used by high-pressure method for 45 in making a two-spotted cricket stock. It was judged that making insects food can reduce visual aversion as stock. So, the possibility of food ingredient was identified so that two-spotted cricket led to the increase of domestic interests.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2021

Gryllus bimaculatus extract (GbE) have reported that anti-inflammatory activity by suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, the effects of fermented Gryllus bimaculatus extract (FGbE) have not yet been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle effect of the fermented Gryllus bimaculatus extracts using Bacillus subtilis (JB PMB-18) in RAW264.7 cells. Both GbE and FGbE exerted no cytotoxic effects until 1000 ㎍/mL concentration. FGbE decreased NO production and decreased iNOS and COX-2 mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the protein production of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 was effectively reduced compared to the GbE. Inhibitory activities of elastase and collagenase associated with skin wrinkle improvement were measured to be 45% and 69%, respectively, at a concentration of 500 ㎍/mL in FGbE. From these results, FGbE can be used as a health functional food and skin functional cosmetic materials for preventing inflammatory diseases because it has excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-wrinkle effects.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.537-542
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• 2019

Proteins were isolated from four species of edible insects, Bombyx mori, B; Tenebrio molitor, T; Protaetia brevitarsis, P; and Gryllus bimaculatus, G, and their properties were analyzed and compared with those of whey proteins. The yield of the protein isolated from raw materials was 65.0-75.0%. Among three branched chain amino acids (BCAA), the amounts of valine in all the insects were similar to that of the whey protein. The BCAA content was 16.8 and 16.4% in G and T, respectively. The total polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity of the insect proteins were significantly higher than those of the whey proteins. Based on the sensory test of the protein powder, the whey protein could be replaced by 25% of the isolated protein from the insects, but the taste and flavor needs to be improved. Although the BCAA content of insect proteins was lower than that of the whey protein (by 73-76%), their application could be useful because of high polyphenolic content and the anti-oxidative activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.671-676
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• 2021

A cDNA encoding the protein lethal (2) essential for life [l(2)efl] was cloned from Gryllus bimaculatus and named GBl(2)efl. This protein is composed of 189 amino acids, including an N-glycosylation site and 15 phosphorylation sites. Its predicted molecular mass is 21.19 kDa, with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.2. The secondary structure of GBl(2)efl was predicted from the identification of random coils (56.08%), alpha helices (22.22%), extended strands (17.99%), and beta turns (3.7%) through sequence analyses. A homology analysis revealed that GBl(2)efl exhibited a high similarity with other species at the amino acid level, ranging from 52% to 69%. While GBl(2)efl mRNA expression was higher in the dorsal longitudinal flight muscle following a three-day starvation and in the Malpighian tubules following a one-day starvation, no changes in expression were detected in other tissues. Furthermore, tunicamycin-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress resulted in an approximately 1.8-fold higher expression in the fat body compared with the wild type.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.82-87
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• 2020

The gene expression of amylase, trypsin, and lipase in the digestive organs of the two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) was tested to understand how it overcomes starvation. Amylase gene expression in the foregut was reduced by digesting no food until starvation-3 days. Although that expression persisted to starvation-6 days, it returned to normal at refeeding-2 days. The expression of trypsin peaked at around 8 times as starvation started and at around 4 times at starvation-3 days. After refeeding, trypsin expression rose up to 14 times and then fell back to normal as feeding continued. Lipase gene expression remained elevated at 1.5-2 times when starvation started and returned to normal at refeeding-2 days. In the midgut, amylase expression decreased until starvation-3 days, increasing to about 2 times at starvation-6 days; it did not rise again by refeeding. Trypsin was constantly expressed regardless of starvation and refeeding, while lipase expression was reduced by 0.6-0.7 times by starvation and refeeding. Amylase gene expression in the hindgut was 0.2-0.3 times lower than starvation-6 days, and it increased by 0.5 times on refeeding-1 day and more than 1.5 times on refeeding-3 days. The gene expression of trypsin was almost identical to amylase.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.297-307
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to develop a seasoning paste fermented by Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis using three edible insects: Tenebrio molitor larvae, Gryllus bimaculatus, and Bombyx mori pupa. No significant changes in pH and titratable acidity were observed between the insect pastes and soybean control during a 5-week fermentation process. The amino nitrogen was 0.35-0.50% (w/w) in the early stage of the fermentation and increased to 0.72-0.78%. The total nitrogen was 2.36-3.62% (w/w) in the early stage and was preserved during the fermentation period. Free amino acids of the insect pastes were similar to those in soybean paste. In general, the fermented insect pastes showed a lower flavor and color than soybean paste but B. mori pupa-fermented paste did not show any significant difference in preference from soybean. Glutamate, aspartate, lysine, phenylalanine, arginine, and serine were found to affect taste preference. It was possible to ferment edible insect protein to produce a fermented seasoning paste like Korean doenjang.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.785-792
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• 2019

This study examined the changes in the protein and mineral composition of Gryllus bimaculatus fermented with Bacillus substilis and the mycelia of Basidiomycetes. Normal Gryllus bimaculatus (S) and experimental group data obtained after an inoculation of Bacillus substilis (SC) (KACC 19623), Pleurotus eryngii (SP) and Cordyceps millitaris (SC) were compared. The crude protein content of the Gryllus bimaculatus (control) was 75.48%, but it decreased to 64.55, 54.32, and 63.53% after fermentation with SB, SP and SC, respectively (p<0.05). An analysis of the organic elements showed that the contents of the carbon and nitrogen sources were also reduced after fermentation, and the most significant decrease was observed after fermentation with SP. In SDS-PAGE, a 120 kDa and a 48 kDa protein of Gryllus bimaculatus were found. On the other hand, protein bands faded after fermentation with SP and SC, respectively. Moreover, no visible band was observed after fermentation with SB. According to amino acid analysis, the total free amino acid content increased 3.84 and 1.74 times after fermentation with SB and SP, respectively, compared to the corresponding baseline data. In contrast, it decreased by 0.52 times after fermentation with SC. Among the essential amino acids found in crickets fermented with SB, the valine and isoleucine content was 3.57 and 2.64 times higher, respectively, than the recommended daily amount of essential amino acids.