• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2018

This study was performed to evaluate the quality characteristics of functional Dasik prepared with a mixture of freeze-dried mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) powder and dried pollack powder along with assessment of the general and fatty acid compositions of mealworms. General compositions, except for moisture content of freeze-dried mealworm powder, were higher than those of raw mealworms. The ratios of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids of freeze-dried mealworm powder and raw mealworms were 1:3.31 and 1:3.19, respectively. Amounts of oleic acid, which was the most abundant among unsaturated fatty acids, of freeze-dried mealworm powder and raw mealworms were 41.12 and 37.84%, respectively. For color values, greater content of freeze-dried mealworm powder in functional Dasik resulted in lower L and b scores, whereas a value increased. In the case of mechanical properties, greater content of freeze-dried mealworm powder resulted in significant reduction of hardness, chewiness, and gumminess. In the case of sensory evaluation, color, taste, and overall quality of DPMD50, which was prepared with a 1:1 ratio of freeze-dried mealworm powder and dried pollack, were the highest. It was concluded that DPMD50 is a nutritious combination of edible insects and fish for protein fortification for growth and the elderly.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2014

Tenebrio molitor is a major pest of stored grain, although its larvae have potential for use as food. However, little is known about the characteristics of individual larval instars of this species, and the number of instars remains disputed. Therefore, we assessed T. molitor for the average number of instars and its characteristics at different larval stages. The focus of this study was to establish a foundation for further studies on the characteristics of each larval instar. All of the T. molitor larvae showed incubation periods of 7 to 8 d and a period of 3 to 4 d for the $1^{st}$ instar. Beyond the $1^{st}$ instar, there were relatively large variations in the number of days in each instar period. Before emergence, most of the larvae had typically gone through 15 to 17 instars. The highest rate of pupae formation, 28.32%, was observed in the $17^{th}$ instars. The body length gradually increased with each successive instar, reaching its maximum at the 17th instar. Beyond the $17^{th}$ instar, however, the body length decreased. The larvae were white in the first instar, and gradually turned brown after the $2^{nd}$ instar.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.888-897
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• 2014

A bacterial community analysis of the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae was performed using pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. A predominance of genus Spiroplasma species in phylum Tenericutes was observed in the gut samples, but there was variation found in the community composition between T. molitor individuals. The gut bacteria community structure was not significantly affected by the presence of antibiotics or by the exposure of T. molitor larvae to a highly diverse soil bacteria community. A negative relationship was identified between bacterial diversity and ampicillin concentration; however, no negative relationship was identified with the addition of kanamycin. Ampicillin treatment resulted in a reduction in the bacterial community size, estimated using the 16S rRNA gene copy number. A detailed phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Spiroplasma-associated sequences originating from the T. molitor larvae were distinct from previously identified Spiroplasma type species, implying the presence of novel Spiroplasma species. Some Spiroplasma species are known to be insect pathogens; however, the T. molitor larvae did not experience any harmful effects arising from the presence of Spiroplasma species, indicating that Spiroplasma in the gut of T. molitor larvae do not act as a pathogen to the host. A comparison with the bacterial communities found in other insects (Apis and Solenopsis) showed that the Spiroplasma species found in this study were specific to T. molitor.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2021

Purpose: Obesity is a serious public health issue for the modern society and is considered a chronic health hazard. There are many surgical and pharmacological approaches to treat obesity. However, various potentially hazardous side effects remain the biggest challenge. Therefore, diets based on foods derived from natural products have gained increasing attention compared to anti-obesity drugs. Recently, research on edible insects as a food source has been a topic of considerable interest in the scientific communities. This study examined the anti-obesity effects of ingesting an edible insect by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse models with a diet containing Tenebrio molitor larvae powder (TMLP). Methods: Six-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups according to treatment: 100% normal diet (ND), 100% HFD (HFD), HFD 99% + TMLP 1% (TMLP), and HFD 97% + TMLP 3% (TMLP 3%). TMLP was added to the HFD for 6 weeks for the latter two groups. Results: Compared to the HFD group, mice in the TMLP group showed weight loss, and micro-computed tomographic imaging revealed that the volume of the adipose tissue in the abdominal area also showed significant reduction. After an autopsy, the fat weight was found to be significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. In addition, the degree of fat cell deposition in the liver tissue and the size of the adipocytes significantly decreased in the TMLP group. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis for the mRNA expression of adipogenesis-related genes namely CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBP-β, C/EBP-δ), and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) showed that the expression levels of these genes were significantly reduced in the TMLP group compared to the HFD group. Serum leptin level also decreased significantly in the TMLP group in the comparison with the HFD group. In addition, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels in mouse serum also decreased in the TMLP group. Conclusion: Taken together, our results showed that TMLP effectively inhibited adipocyte growth and reduced body weight in obese mice.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.861-869
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• 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the effectivity of full-fat black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (BSF) and defatted mealworm Tenebrio molitor (MW) larvae meal as a fish meal (FM) substitute in a low-fish meal (LFM) diet for juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. The LFM diet comprising 45% FM with tankage meal, poultry byproduct meal, soy protein concentrate and wheat gluten was the control diet. Three experimental diets were 10% FM in Con with BSF, MW and a mixture of both at the same ratio (designated as B10, M10 and B5M5, respectively). Four hundred and forty-fourth juvenile P. olivaceus (34.3±0.1 g) were randomly distributed into 12 tanks (425 L) in three replicate groups per treatment and fed the experimental diets for 15 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, growth performance, survival, biological indices (condition factor, viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index), non-specific immune responses (lysozyme, myeloperoxidase) and intestinal histology (villi length and goblet cells) were not significantly affected by treatments. Feed utilization was significantly decreased in M10 compared to the control group. Alanine aminotransferase level was significantly higher in M10 than in the control group. Glucose level was significantly lower in B10 than in the control group. These results suggest that BSF and MW can be used as FM substitutes. However, considering feed conversion ratio and AST level, MW availability is thought to be lower than that of BSF, and feeding fish with a diet containing MW for an extended period is thought to adversely affect fish growth.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2024

We introduce a method for preserving yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus) larvae for an extended period and show that a high percentage of larvae can survive in good health under low-temperature storage conditions combined with specific diapause termination conditions. Our study revealed that we can regulate important development stages such as pupation, emergence, and larval duration by adjusting these termination conditions. When storing larvae aged 6-8 weeks for 140 days, the storage temperature can be varied based on our goals, giving us control over yellow mealworm production to meet specific demands. To produce adult beetles, storing larvae at 15 ℃ with wheat bran and ending diapause at 30 ℃ resulted in 90% pupation rate, with 60% becoming adults in 21 days. If our aim is larvae production, storing them at 10-12 ℃ with wheat bran and ending diapause at 25-30 ℃ allows the larvae to reach a suitable weight for processing. This straightforward approach ensures long-term storage of yellow mealworm larvae and provides a practical way to control their development, allowing efficient mass production tailored to market demands.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 2023

Purpose: Edible insect extracts have been used as an alternative source for medicinal supplements due to their significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity. Recent studies have reported that anti-microbial peptides from insects have neuroprotective effects on dopamine toxins. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective functions of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) extract (MWE) on N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced cellular toxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Methods: Cellular toxicity induced by the MPTP toxin and the impact of MWE on cell survival were analyzed using MTT assays. DAPI staining was performed to observe apoptotic phenomena caused by MPTP. Changes in caspase-3 activity and protein expression were observed using enzyme activity assays and western blot assays, respectively. Results: MWE exerted significant antioxidant activity, which was measured by both DPPH and ABTS radical assays, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, MWE resulted in cellular proliferation in SHSY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MWE pretreatment significantly inhibited MPTP-induced cytotoxicity, with a dose-dependent relationship. The morphological characteristics of apoptosis and increased reactive oxygen species induced by MPTP were also significantly reduced by MWE pretreatment. Conclusion: MWE treatment significantly attenuated MPTP-induced changes in the levels of proteins associated with apoptosis, such as caspase-3 and PARP. These findings suggest that MWE exerts neuroprotective effects on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells subject to MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.387-394
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• 2013

The developmental times of mealworm beetle larvae, Tenebrio molitor were studied at six temperatures ranging from 15 to $30^{\circ}C$ with 60~70% RH, and a photoperiod of 14L:10D. Mortality of larval period was very low at 17 and $20^{\circ}C$ but did not die over $22^{\circ}C$. Developmental time of larva was decreased with increasing temperature. The total developmental time of T. molitor larvae was longest at $17^{\circ}C$ (244.3 days) and shortest at $30^{\circ}C$ (110.8 days). Egg and larvae were not developed at $15^{\circ}C$. The lower developmental threshold and effective accumulative temperatures for the total larval stages were $6.0^{\circ}C$ and 2564.1 degree-days, respectively. The relationship between developmental rate and temperature was fitted by a linear model and nonlinear model of Logan-6($r^2$=0.95). The distribution of completion of each development stage was well described by the 2-parameter Weibull function ($r^2$=0.8502~0.9390).

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.656-663
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was aimed to compare the nutritional content of the life stages of Tenebrio molitor. Methods: Nutritional element analysis comprised 12 minerals, 18 amino acids, 4 vitamins, and 12 fatty acids in larval, pupal, and adult stages. Nutritional element content was expressed as a percentage of 100 g of sample and determined in raw and freeze-dried samples to assess the food value of the insect. Results: Moisture, crude protein, and crude fat contents in raw samples were 63.5%, 23.19%, and 3.96%, respectively. Moisture content was significantly higher in the adult stage than in larval and pupal stages, whereas crude fat and crude ash contents were lower. Mineral composition of the mealworm showed K, P, and Mg in decreasing order of content, with no differences among life stages. Total amino acid content increased from adult, pupal to larval stages, in order with each stage's growth, without difference in amino acid composition. Seventy-six to 78% of total fatty acid corresponded to unsaturated fatty acids, with oleic acid as the most abundant. In addition, fatty acid content was high in the adult stage, and clear differences were observed between life stages. Finally, vitamins B1 and B3 showed similar content between life stages, whereas vitamin B2 showed a higher content the adult than larval and pupal stages. A higher folate content was observed in pupal and adult stages than in the larval stage. Although freeze-dried samples showed a higher nutritional content than raw samples, both samples were similar in composition and content between life stages, suggesting the suitability of freeze-dried samples for use as food materials. Conclusion: These results may provide a basis for more diversified industrial applications of the Tenebrio molitor.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

As increasing utilization of Tenebrio molitor for industry, establishing effective conditions of indoor mass-rearing system become more important. For this reason, the aim of this study was to identify the physiological characteristics of Tenebrio molitor in different range of temperatures, photoperiods and rearing densities for mass breeding. As a result, their egg had above 70% hatching rate at $17.5{\sim}27.5^{\circ}C$ and the egg period was shown 5~7 days in $25{\sim}35^{\circ}C$. Consequently, in the consideration of the hatching rates and egg periods, the optimal indoor temperature for rearing was $25{\sim}27.5^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, development period of larvae in mass breeding system was shorter than individual breeding system under all the conditions of temperature. Also, the pupal weight was higher in mass breeding system except for $20^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. Considering elasticity of demand and weight of production, the effective condition was mass-breeding system at $25^{\circ}C$. In photoperiodic condition, the shortest of larval period was 157.35 day in 14L : 10D.