• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.12-25
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• 2016

Recently, research investment in the improvement of food safety as a food source and specializing of nutritional source of edible insects is being actively conducted. Cricket especially has been attracting considerable interest in entomophagy; however, research on the safety assessment of cricket is limited. This study investigated the effects of cricket ethanol extract when orally administrated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, we performed a 4 wk repeated oral dose toxicity test in Sprague-Dawley rats following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development test guidelines 407 under Good Laboratory Practice regulation. Rats were randomly allocated 4 groups: vehicle control, 250, 500, 1,000 mg/kg test groups and administrated based on body weight for 28 d. The animals were observed for mortalities and clinical signs, body weight changes, food and water consumption. At the end of treatment period, blood and urine were collected and analyzed. Subsequently, the animals were sacrificed and subjected to gross pathological examination and organ weight measurement. The organs were preserved for histopathological examination. The results showed that there were no systemic toxicological effects related with the cricket ethanol extract in the 4 wk oral repeated dose toxicity study. It is considered that NOAEL of cricket ethanol extract is greater than 1,000 mg/kg/d and there was no target organ detected.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.45-45
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• 2003

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is known to cause liver injury characterized by centrilobular necrosis. The toxicity is thought to be exerted via cytochrome P-450-mediated metabolism of $CCl_4$ to trichloromethyl and trichloro-methylperoxy radicals, which initiates lipid peroxidation, leading to hepatocellular membrane damage [l, 2]. Our study demonstrates a therapeutic efficacy of YCY, extract of a cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, on liver injuries induced by $CCl_4$. (omitted)

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.955-961
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• 2017

Edible insects are attracting growing interest as a sustainable source of protein for addition to processed meat and dairy products. The current study investigated the optimal method for protein extraction from mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), cricket adults (Gryllus bimaculatus), and silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori), for use in further applications. After defatting with n-hexane for up to 48 h, sonication was applied for 1-20 min and the protein yield was measured. All samples showed a total residual fat percentage below 1.36%, and a 35% to 94% improvement in protein yield (%). In conclusion, defatting with n-hexane combined with sonication improves the protein yield from insect samples.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.831-837
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• 2015

Insects have gained increasing attention as an alternative protein and nutrient rich food source for humans. This study was conducted to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and harmful components of edible crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) in the 6 districts of Yeonggwang (YG), Jeongseon (JS), Wonju (WJ), Hwaseong (HS), Geochang (GC), and Chungju (CJ). The average crude protein and crude lipid contents on a dry basis were 64.34% and 16.60%, respectively. The crude protein content of CJ was the highest (67.40%), whereas YG (59.42%) had the lowest content. On the other hand, the crude fat content of YG was the highest (20.61%), whereas CJ (14.04%) had the lowest content. The unsaturated fatty acid contents were 57.97-63.93 g/100 g of the total fatty acid content in the crickets of the 6 districts. The major fatty acids of the crickets in the 6 districts were palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. Among the essential amino acids, valine, leucine, and lysine were the most abundant. GC had the highest total amino acids (57.93 g/100 g), whereas YG (48.65 g/100 g) had the lowest. Major mineral contents included potassium (K, 0.92~1.01 mg/100 mg) and phosphorus (P, 0.74~0.88 mg/100 mg). The mineral composition was fairly similar among the crickets. Crickets in the 6 districts were verified to have safe levels of residual heavy metals according to the Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) advisory levels.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.480-485
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• 2019

The present study was conducted to compare antioxidant capacities of protein hydrolysates from four different edible insects (Protaetia brevitarsis larvae, Allomyrina dichotoma larvae, Gryllus bimaculatus imago, and Tenebrio molitor larvae) which have recently been registered as food varieties in Korea. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from each insect using enzymatic hydrolysis using alcalase, and were then separated into a fraction containing ${\leq}3kDa$. According to $RC_{50}$ values and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity results obtained from five different antioxidant analyses, the Gryllus bimaculatus (GB) hydrolysate showed relatively high levels of antioxidant capacity and, in particular, the GB hydrolysate showed considerably strong antioxidant activities in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The GB hydrolysate also showed the strongest inhibitory effect on peroxidation of linoleic acid, and its rate of inhibition at $100{\mu}g/mL$ on day 3 of treatment was 60.26%. These results suggest that protein hydrolysates from edible insects including GB represent potential sources of natural antioxidants.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.46-46
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• 2003

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) are widespread, persistant, and highly toxic environmental pollutants. TCDD is the most potent congener among PCDDs and the most thoroughly investigated model compound of this class of chemicals. These compounds elicit a variety of common biochemical and toxic response, including specific binding to the cytosolic AHR [1] and induces a variety of biological response ranging from induction of cytochrome P-450 1A (CYP1A) to liver damage and cancer [2]. This study was carried out to investigate the protective effects of YCY, extract of a cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, on hepatotoxicity in 6-week-old SD rat exposured to TCDD (omitted)

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.602-616
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation and ferroptosis are implicated in various diseases and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been linked with these disorders. Recently, many edible insects, such as Gryllus bimaculatus, Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PB) and Tenebrio molitor larvae, have been recommended as alternative foods because they contain lots of nutritional sources. In this study, we explored the potential of PB extract in preventing LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis in Hep3B cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: PB powder was extracted using 70% ethanol and applied to Hep3B cells. Co-treatment with LPS was conducted to induce ferroptosis and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory and anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of the PB extract were confirmed using Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: PB extract effectively prevented LPS-induced cell death and restored LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production, NF-κB signaling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ferroptosis. Interestingly, PB extract reduced LPS-induced ceramide increase and acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) expression. The use of the ASMase inhibitor, desipramine, also demonstrated a reduction in these pathways, highlighting the pivotal role of ASMase in inflammation and ferroptosis. Treatment with each inhibitor revealed that ferroptosis causes ER stress and that NF-κB and MAP kinase pathways are involved in inflammation. CONCLUSION: PB emerges as a potential functional food with inhibitory effects on LPS-induced inflammation and ferroptosis, making it a promising candidate for nutritional interventions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2022

Insects have been proposed as new protein sources for human nutrition, and protein availability is affected by insect characteristics. Fermentation can be used to obtain a variety of insect-based ingredients and products with unique properties, but its effect on protein availability is unknown. Fermented cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) powder consists mainly of protein, and its oral administration has been reported to improve hair growth in androgenetic alopecia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hair-promoting activity of fermented cricket powder in an animal model using male C57BL/6 mice (25-30 g). The abdominal hair of the mouse (2x2.5 cm) was gently removed, and the groups fed as follows: Intact controls (no cricket powder); cricket powder only; and fermented cricket powder only. Food was applied daily for 11 weeks. Observational and physical examinations were performed and the results of the different groups compared. The application of fermented cricket powder significantly (p<0.01) promoted hair growth compared to the intact controls. The C57BL/6 results confirmed increased growth after seven weeks when the proportion of anagen follicles had increased by about 125% and 120% in the control and cricket powder groups, respectively. In conclusion, fermented cricket powder can be seen as a promising alternative alopecia treatment because it promotes hair growth, and, given the powder's composition, trace elements such as amino acids may have contributed to these effects.