• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2021

In the search for another appealing source of future food to cover the increasing need for nutrients of a growing global population, this study reviewed the potential of insects as human food. This study assessed some common edible insects, but concentrated on mealworms. Insects, especially mealworms, have a similar or higher nutritional value than many conventional food sources. The present study aimed to promote health through the development of blueberry cake by Mealworm Powder (Tenebrio molitor Lavare). The results of Sensory evaluation comparison of Blueberry cake to different levels of mealworm powder. The sensory evaluation showed that sample 3 had the highest color, taste, texture, and overall texture except flavour. Therefore, mealworm blueberry cake made with 60g of mealworm powder showed the best results. The results of analyzing the general components of the Mealworm blueberry cake showed more than two times higher Crude protein and less than half Crude fat compared to control blueberry cake. It is believed that the addition of mealworm powder means that the protein in the cake, a high carbohydrate food, has been strengthened. This is the development of bakery products with both nutritional excellence and symbolism, and it is believed that wheat worm powder is a good food material as a favorite food, not a hateful food, which will improve consumer awareness of edible insects.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2016

Distillers dried grain (DDG) and makgeolli spent grain (MSG) are agricultural byproducts to produce alcoholic beverage. However, they are known to contain enough nutrients. Mealworm is a promising insect resource for an animal feed ingredient as well as alternative human food. With low cost, DDG and MSG were investigated as a feed ingredient for rearing high quality mealworms. DDG and MSG were mixed with wheat bran and compared to control feed (only wheat bran) for its effects on larval survivorship, larval weight, duration for developmental period, pupation rate, and pupal weight. When DDG added, larval survivorship was reduced to 50~70% compared to the control group. Larvae fed on DDG were heavier from third to sixth week. Especially, larvae with 50% DDG were 28% heavier than the control group at the third week. For the larval period, the 50% DDG group was 11% less than that for the control. The pupal weight for the 30% DDG group was 7% heavier than that for the control group. Pupation rates for all the DDG groups were higher than 90%. When compared to the control, larval survivorship for the 70% MSG group was low, but the 50% and 70% MSG groups were high during the seventh and eighth weeks because of delayed development. After the eighth week, larvae with 70% MSG showed the highest larval weight increase as 9~18% compared to the control group. Except 70% MSG group, all of MSG groups showed more than 90% pupation rates. We confirmed that adding 30~50% of DDG or MSG to conventional wheat bran have a strong potential to replace the conventional wheat bran insect feed for quality insect production.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.70-70
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• 2019

Hepatic fibrosis is a common chronic liver diseases, characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is proliferative and fibrogenic and accumulating ECM. Transforming growth factor $(TGF)-{\beta}1$ is a critical mediator of HSC activation and ECM accumulation leading to fibrosis. Tenebrio molitor (TM), known as yellow mealworms, is reported in many countries as the nutritional value of foods. Our study has aims of finding liver function improvement effect of S. cerevisiae fermented Tenebrio molitor (SCTM) in vitro model. SCTM regulates $TGF-{\beta}1$ induced hepatic fibrosis via regulation of the $TGF-{\beta}1/Smad$ signaling. Also, we compared the components increased by yeast fermentation. It is possible to make a useful insect-derived alternative food in the improvement of hepatic liver disease.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2007

This study reveals the unusual case reported for the first time on the selective non digestion of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae by arowana fish. In January 2005, an Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) (red variety), from Daesang Tropical Fish Corporation, Seoul, Korea, mortality was observed due to unknown cause. No putative causal factors were suggested by bacteriological and parasitological examinations. Internal examination of the dissected stomach showed some undigested debris with mandible parts of mealworms attached to the mucosal lining of stomach wall. Feeding experiment of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) was conducted on the silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum). Result showed that on the test group, fish released vomitous material containing undigested mandibles of mealworm was observed on the 24th day of the feeding experiment. Histopathological examination of the cross section of the stomach wall layers of the test groups, showed detached parts of the mucosal layer and gastric pits around the damaged area with intact mucularis tissues. While the control group fed with mealworm larvae without head part showed intact stomach wall layers consisting of gastric pit, mucosa and mucularis tissues. Fish on both treatments survived until the termination of experiment. The removal of mealworm larvae head before feeding probably help or aid in the fast digestion of these insect larvae.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.888-898
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• 2017

Tenebrio molitor larvae, also known as yellow mealworms (MW), are rich in protein and lipid and can serve as a potential alternative protein and energy source in commercial aquafeeds. Therefore, this study attempts to evaluate the effects of different drying methods on the nutritional value of MW meal. For this, live MW were cold-anaesthetized before being subjected to three different types of drying methods, including freeze-drying, oven-drying at $60^{\circ}C$ and air-drying at room temperature for three days, and compared for proximate composition and energy content. An in-vivo digestibility test was then conducted to evaluate the nutrient digestibility of MW meal in diets for rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. A test diet was prepared by mixing the MW meal with a reference diet (Ref) in a 30:70 ratio with chromium oxide as an inert marker at the inclusion level of 0.5%. Rockfish with mean body weight of 150 g were stocked into a fecal collection system equipped with fiberglass tanks of 400 L capacity. Each group of fish was fed one of the experimental diets to apparent satiation for 4 weeks. The results of the proximate analysis showed that drying methods had no significant effect on crude protein, crude lipid, ash and energy contents of MW. Despite being a rich source of protein and lipid, MW meal was deficient in certain amino acids, particularly methionine, and highly unsaturated fatty acids, particularly 22:6n-3 (DHA) and 20:5n-3 (EPA). MW meal showed high digestibility values for protein (93%), lipid (97%) and energy (88%). These results may indicate that MW meal is a nutritious and acceptable feed ingredient, with comparable digestibility values to conventional animal and plant feedstuffs such as fish meal and soybean meal, in practical diet for rockfish at grower stage.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.617-625
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• 2017

The effects of replacing pork meat with yellow mealworms on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of frankfurters were investigated in this study. The control (50% pork ham), T1 (45% pork ham + 5% yellow mealworm), T2 (40% pork ham + 10% yellow mealworm), T3 (35% pork ham + 15% yellow mealworm), T4 (30% pork ham + 20% yellow mealworm), T5 (25% pork ham + 25% yellow mealworm), and T6 (20% pork ham + 30% yellow mealworm) were prepared, replacing lean pork meat with yellow mealworm. The moisture content, lightness, sarcoplasmic protein solubility, hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and apparent viscosity of frankfurters with yellow mealworm were lower than those of the control (p<0.05), whereas the content of protein and ash, pH, and yellowness of frankfurters with yellow mealworm were higher than those of the control (p<0.05). The fat content of frankfurters in T1 (p<0.05) was the highest, and the fat content of treatments decreased with increasing yellow mealworm concentrations (p<0.05). Frankfurters with increasing yellow mealworm concentrations had lower color, flavor, off-flavor, and juiciness scores. The overall acceptability was not significantly different in the control, T1, and T2 (p>0.05). Thus, the results of this study showed that replacing lean pork meat with up to 10% yellow mealworm successfully maintained the quality of frankfurters at a level similar to that of the regular control frankfurters.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.93-98
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• 2012

Nutrition value of mealworm, Tenebrio molitor was analyzed due to increasing demand of usage as a protein source for domestic animals and even further for human consumption. The purpose of the present work was to determine the chemical compostion of the Tenebrio molitor larvae, adult that were maintained under standard condition for further usage of mass-rearing system and its exuvium, and excreta. Tenebrio molitor, larvae, adult, exuvium and excreta contained 46.44, 63.34, 32.87, and 18.51% protein respectively, suggested that even excreta could be used as an additional supplement in food recycling process. This protein was also rich in amino acids such as Isoleucine, leucine and Lysine which all met the nutritional value recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Fatty acid composition was detected with high component of oleic acid (C18:1), along with linoleic acid (C18:2) and palmitic acid (C16) in all adult, larvae, exuvium and excreta. These oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and palmitic acid (C16) components were the same or even highly contained in excreta of mealworm 22.29, 47.19 and 19.17% respectively. Longer chains of unsaturated fatty acids consisted of two to three double bonds are known as healthy product was recognized in large amount. These results show new ways to consume mealworms and its waste for animal and human consumption.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2_spc
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• pp.317-331
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• 2022

The aim of the present investigation is to determine the nutritional composition of various insects and their potential uses as alternative protein sources in animal diets. The feeding industry requires production systems that use accessible resources, such as feed resources, and concentrates on the potential impacts on production yield and nutritional quality. Invertebrate insects, such as black soldier flies, grasshoppers, mealworms, housefly larvae, and crickets, have been used as human food and as feed for nonruminants and aqua culture while for ruminants their use has been limited. Insects can be mass-produced, participating in a circular economy that minimizes or eliminates food- and feed-waste through bioconversion. Although the model for formula-scale production of insects as feed for domestic animals has been explored for a number of years, significant production and transformation to being a conventional protein resource remains to be deeply investigated. This review will focus on the nutritional composition of various insects and their potential use as alternative protein sources, as well as their potential use to promote and support sustainable animal production. Furthermore, nutritional compositions, such as high protein, lauric acid omega 6, and omega 3, and bioactive compounds, such as chitin, are of great potential use for animal feeding.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.435-441
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• 2017

The present study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworm) as a health functional food material in order to contribute to the development of the domestic insect industry and health functional food industry. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from mealworm powder by enzymatic hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, and papain), and the hydrolysates were then tested for their antioxidant activities. Based on available amino group contents and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses, mealworms treated with alcalase ($4,781.39{\mu}g/mL$), flavourzyme ($5,429.35{\mu}g/mL$), or neutrase ($3,155.55{\mu}g/mL$) for 24 h showed high degree of hydrolysis (HD) value, whereas HD values of bromelain ($1,800{\mu}g/mL$) and papain-treated ($1,782.61{\mu}g/mL$) mealworms were much lower. Protein hydrolysates showing high HD values were further separated into > 3 kDa and ${\leq}3kDa$ fractions by a centrifugal filter system and then lyophilized, and the production yields of the low molecular weight protein hydrolysates (${\leq}3kDa$) by alcalase, flavourzyme, and neutrase were 42.05%, 26.27%, and 30.01%, respectively. According to the RC_{50} values of the protein hydrolysates (${\leq}3kDa$) obtained from three different antioxidant analyses, all three hydrolysates showed similar antioxidant activities. Thus, alcalase hydrolysates showing the highest production yield of low molecular weight protein hydrolysates were further tested for their inhibitory effects on peroxidation of linoleic acid by measuring thiobarbituric acid values, and the results show that peroxidation of untreated linoleic acid increased dramatically during 6 days of incubation. However, pretreatment with the hydrolysates ($100{\sim}800{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited linoleic acid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner over 6 days.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.570-579
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• 2019

Diabetes is one of the serious chronic metabolic diseases caused by Westernized eating habits, and the goal of diabetes treatment is to keep blood glucose at a normal level and prevent diabetic complications. This study was designed to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of a mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larva) extract (MWE) on hyperglycemia in an animal model with type 2 diabetes. Diabetic C57BL/Ksj-db/db mice were divided into three groups: diabetic control, rosiglitazone, and MWE. The mice supplemented with MWE showed significantly lower blood levels of glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin when compared with the diabetic control mice. The homeostatic index of insulin resistance was significantly lower in mice supplemented with MWE than in diabetic control mice. MWE supplementation significantly stimulated the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 and Akt, and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in insulin signaling pathway of skeletal muscles. Eventually, MWE increased the expression of the plasma membrane glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) via PI3K/Akt activation. These findings demonstrate that the increase in plasma membrane GLUT4 expression by MWE promoted the uptake of blood glucose into cells and relieved hyperglycemia in skeletal muscles of diabetic C57BL/Ksj-db/db mice. Therefore, mealworms are expected to prove useful for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, and further studies are needed to improve type 2 diabetes in the future.