• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.785-788
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• 2020

We investigated the oviposition characteristics of Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis, focusing on zone breeding throughout the year in terms of the development and utilization of insect resources. To select Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis individuals laying a large number of eggs, the number of eggs laid for each individual was measured for each individual after emergence as adults from larvae grown at room temperature in five farmhouses. The five study zone included Gongju (Tancheon), Gyeonggi (Himsen), Chungnam (Gyeryong), Taean (Wonbuk), and Siheung (Baekse). The average oviposition tendency during a 12-week period obtained from the five regions was somewhat different; however, there was no remarkable difference in overall tendency. The maximum oviposition in Protaetia brevitarsisseulensis in the five regions occurred between 6 and 7 weeks. Compared toother regions, the average cumulative number of eggs laid during the 12-week period was higher (40%-60%) in Gongju (Tancheon) and Gyeonggi (Himsen). These results indicate that in two regions, zone breeding is selected as a system for increasing the demand for insects.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.939-941
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• 2020

This study evaluated the effect of four different feeds on the larval weight and survival rate of Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (PBS) over five weeks. Four different types of feed (self-fermentation medium, RM medium, Samsung livestock medium, and bean-curd dregs medium) were given to third-instar larvae of PBS. Weight changes and survival rates of PBS larvae were measured weekly for five weeks. During the experimental period PBS larvae showed the highest growth in Samsung livestock medium, followed by bean-curd dregs medium, RM medium, and self-fermentation medium. Survival rate of PBS larvae were the lowest in bean-curd dregs medium, and then in the Samsung livestock medium. Using the Samsung livestock medium can shorten the delivery period of PBS larvae by approximately 40 days based on the larva shipped on average 75 days. Therefore, this study provides information and data on insect farming techniques useful for insect industrialization.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.191-194
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• 2021

This study aimed to provide information and data for the management of insect breeding farms by identifying the appropriate density when rearing Protaetia brevitarsis larvae. The breeding box of the insects was filled with 2 L of fermented sawdust on a 50 × 35 × 15 cm sheet of plastic, and the density of the treatments was 200, 300 and 400 P. brevitarsis in the first, second, and third larval stages. Each treatment was repeated five times, and the sawdust medium was replaced three times (10 intervals). The experiments were conducted for a total of 30 days from March 1, 2020. Overall, 200 P.brevitarsis in the first, second, and third larval stages reared in the breeding box had a higher average survival rate and lower average mortality rate, thereby contributing to efficient production. In conclusion, this result suggests a way to increase production efficiency through the environmental management of insect breeding farms.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1337-1343
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• 2005

The hepato-protective effects of the extract from Protaetia brevitarsis against hepatotoxicity by carbon tetrachloride ($CCI_4$) were studied in rats. The rats were orally treated with $CCI_4$ (50% in corn oil) at initial dose of $1\;m{\ell}/kg$ followed by $0.5m{\ell}/kg$ four times during 2-week period. The extract of P. brevitarsis (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) or its vehicle was administered day after day from 1 week before $CCI_4$ Injection during five weeks. $CCI_4$ induced hepato-celluar degeneration and necrosis induced to increase in serum aspartate amintransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. In biochemical analyses, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in hepatic tissues were remarkably increased by $CCI_4$ treatment. Not only increases in serum AST and ALT, but also induction of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in hepatic tissues caused by $CCI_4$ were significantly attenuated by the P. brevitarsis extract in a dose-dependent manner. Such hepato-protective effects of P. brevitarsis extract were confirmed by histopathological examinations, wherein only mild hepatocytic vacuolations were observed in the liver of rats treated with a high dose (100 mg/kg) of P. brevitarsis extract in comparison with severe hepatocytic degenerations administered with $CCI_4$ alone. From these results, it is suggested that the extract of Protaetia brevitarsis could be a promising candidate for the protection of liver injury, based on the preventive effects against morphological cellular injuries, lipid peroxidation and serum biochemical parameters.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.639-643
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• 2019

We aimed to evaluate antithrombotic efficacy of Protaetia brevitarsis extract during 21 days. Rats (SPF rat, weight 240~260 g) were divided into 16 groups (5 rats per group), they were: control group and Protaetia brevitarsis extract groups with dose of 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, 250, 500, 750, 1,000 mg/kg kg of body weight. Thromboplastin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPPT) as antithrombotic efficacy were tested in this animal experiment (at 7, 14 and 21 days). Overall, the admistration dose of Protaetia brevitarsis extract over 50 mg/kg at 7, 14 and 21 days for PT and over 25 mg/kg at 7, 14 and 21 days for aPPT tented to be longer than that of other groups. In addition, the optimal admistration doses of Protaetia brevitarsis extract to improves antithrombotic efficacy were 75, 100, 200 and 250 mg/kg at 7, 14 and 21 days for PT (p<0.05) and 50 and 100 mg/kg at 7 days, 75 mg/kg at 14 days, or 50, 100, 200 and 250 mg/kg at 21 days for aPPT (p<0.05). It can be concluded that Protaetia brevitarsis extract at optimal levels have antithrombotic efficacy.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.185-189
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• 2021

This study was conducted to determine and to standardize the time of emergence of Protaetia brevitarsis adults, through four breeding experiments, including one which selected the dominant individuals of Protaetia brevitarsis. The breeding experiments were divided into two groups with hibernating and non-hibernating Protaetia brevitarsis by placing 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 Protaetia brevitarsis in each breeding box (50 cm × 35 cm × 15 cm) filled with 12 L of fermented sawdust. Breeding tests were with four replicates each for 3 months. The test period was classified into four stages: Exp. 1 (Sep 1, 2019 to Nov 30, 2019), Exp. 2 (Dec 1, 2019 to Feb 29, 2020), Exp. 3 (Mar 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020) and Exp. 4 (Jun 1, 2020 to Aug 31, 2020). The survey items included average dead number, average emergence number, average mortality, and average emergence rate. In Exp. 1 and 2, the changes in Protaetia brevitarsis adults were similar. In Tables 1 and 2, the allegorical changes of adult white-spotted flowers were similar. In addition, the average dead number, average emergence number, average mortality, and average emergence rate showed better results in the hibernation state than in both Exp. 1 and 2. Exp. 3 and 4 showed a pattern of change different from the results of Exp. 1 and 2 and these characteristics were superior in the hibernation states compared to the non-hibernation states. In conclusion, this result was found to be most appropriate as a standardization of the emergence time of 200 Protaetia brevitarsis treatments through four breeding experiments in the hibernating state.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1218-1226
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• 2019

The white-spotted flower chafer Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis is a medicinally beneficial and important edible insect species. We previously performed an in silico analysis of the Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis transcriptome to identify putative antimicrobial peptides and then tested their antimicrobial and hemolytic activities. These peptides had potent antimicrobial activities against bacteria and yeast without inducing hemolysis. In the present study, the cationic antimicrobial peptide, protaetiamycine 2, was selected for further assessment of its anti-inflammatory properties in mouse macrophage Raw264.7 cells. Protaetiamycine 2 treatment of Raw264.7 cells suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide production and reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, as determined by real-time PCR and western blotting. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines ($TNF-{\alpha}$, IL-6, and $IL-1{\beta}$) was also attenuated through the MAPKs and $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling. We also confirmed that protaetiamycine 2 bound to bacterial cell membranes by a specific interaction with LPS. Collectively, these data obtained from LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells indicated that protaetiamycine 2 could have both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.784-791
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• 2022

This study observed changes in the body composition of Protaetia brevitarsis sinulensis larvae when reared with feed that included noni and nipa palm. Compared to the control group, the death rate and product yield of the treatment group were improved after the larval fasting process. The brightness of the larval powder of the treatment group increased, but the redness decreased. The crude fat content of the treated group was slightly increased according to the assays of the general components, but the mineral content was significantly increased. The total structural amino acids of the treatment group decreased, but the total free amino acids increased. The structural amino acids generally tended to decrease in the treatment group. However, the free amino acids showed no specific differences. Among the free amino acids, tryptophan, phosphoserine, and methylhistidine were highly increased in the treatment group, whereas threonine, methionine, and asparagine showed the opposite results. Among the polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3) of omega-3 was increased in the treatment group, but the omega-6 series was decreased. Since minerals, total free amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment group were increased compared to the control group, we suggest that noni and nipa palm can potentially be applied to the production of functionally improved substances as additional sources of feed for Protaetia brevitarsis sinulensis larvae.

• 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.28 no.12
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• pp.1501-1506
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• 2018

Edible insects have recently been increasingly promoted as a source of protein. As the number of farms rearing these insect increases, it is important to develop safe and nutritious feed sources to improve their commercial quality. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of food by-products as feed supplements for the Korean rhinoceros beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma, which has been registered as a general food ingredient in Korea. We compared the effects of waste citrus peel, soybean curd cake, soybean oil meal, and brewers' dried grain on the growth of third instar larvae of A. dichotoma. Groups of larvae were fed with fermented sawdust and nine different combinations of the above by-products and the effects on their growth were measured until pupation. The highest survival rate was with feed supplemented with 10% brewers' dried grain (66.7%, p<0.05), and these larvae were also 26% heavier (p<0.05) than the control group that received no supplementation. In the 10% brewers' dried grain group, the larval period of third instar was shortened by almost 28 days (p<0.01) compared to the control group. Of all the groups, only that which was fed the brewers' dried grain supplement showed more than a 90% pupation rate (p<0.05). Therefore, brewers' dried grain may be useful as a source of feed for A. dichotoma.