초록
The cricket has been used in East Asia as crude drugs for treating fever and hypertension, and is presently reared as a pharmaceutical insect in China and a food for animals. For the purpose of evaluating protective extracts against alcohol-induced toxicity, the extracts of the cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) were examined in animal models acutely administered alcohol by the cricket in ICR-mice. Water and methanol extracts from the cricket, were found to cause a significant decrease (37%) in the blood ethanol concentration as well as enhancement of liver mitochondrial alcohol dehydogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydogenase (ALDH) activitieson on a single intraperitoneal administration in mice. Futhermore methanol extract was demonstrated to exhibit more potent enhancing activity on ethanol metabolism than water extract. These results suggest that water/alcohol extract of G. bimaculatus may be used as a food for reducing the toxicity of alcohol.