• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2024

The proportion of plant-based meat alternative (PBMA) consumers has recently increased in Korea. This is due to several reasons including protecting the environment, satisfying preferences, maintaining health, and improving eating habits. Accordingly, many companies produce and sell alternative meat using various materials. Alternative meats are classified into plant (such as soybeans and wheat), seaweed, insect, and cultured meats, depending on the raw materials used in manufacturing. PBMA is sold after undergoing processes such as grinding, seasoning, and molding. Therefore, monitoring the presence of any hazardous elements during this process is essential. Accordingly, in this study, we analyzed the harmful components of nine domestically distributed PBMA that are most easily accessible to consumers. After extracting fat from the samples and analyzing the rancidity level, samples F, G, and I were highly rancid. Trace amounts of aflatoxin were detected in samples A and B, but confirmed to be within the range. Cd and Pb were not detected in any sample. We hope that this study will help establish methods to ensure the safety of domestically sold PBMA.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.123-127
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• 2005

To determine the possibility of inflow routes for insect in Korean rice-wine, we investigated catalase (CAT) activity and oxygen bubble formation through stereoscopic microscope in pasteurized insects (bee, fly, fruit fly) treated with $H_2O_2$. The pasteurization condition was 30 and 60 min heating at 65 and $70^{\circ}C$. Bubble was not shown under the CAT level of 50 $\mumoles/min/ml$. CAT activity level was more sensitive compared with oxygen bubble formation, but the CAT activity had correlation with oxygen bubble formation method. We also tested bubble formation at room temperature, 65 and $70^{\circ}C$ for 30 days. The bubble formation was slowly decreased in all insects at room temperature during experiment, but it was rapidly decreased at 65 and $70^{\circ}C$. The fruit fly was not shown bubble formation at 65 and $70^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that bubble farmation method was a new simple method for inflow routes of insects caused by manufacturing and drinking process in pasteurized Korean rice-wine.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.341-353
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• 2020

In accordance with the implementation of the Positive List System (PLS), the proper usage of pesticides is now being enforced. It is assumed that unregistered pesticides are being used on agroforestry products due to the low number of registered pesticides in the agricultural industry. In this study, pesticide and heavy metal residues were investigated in 13 types of products to determine the status of usage. The levels (%) of pesticides detected in Pimpinella beachscape, Platycodon grandiflorum, Codonopsis lancekolate, Artemisia dubia, Angelica gigas, Pyrus pyrifolia, and Punica granatum were 40.0, 20.0, 26.7, 13.3, 56.3, 57.1, 33.3, 26.7, 66.7, and 46.7%, respectively, while, those in Petridium aquilinum, Disoscorea batata and Senna tora were zero. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd) were detected only from P. grandisflorum and A. dubia. The pesticide usage and registration data by agroforestry product obtained in the study will be useful in the future for ensuring the safety of domestic agroforestry products.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.75-78
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• 2015

The white-spotted chafer, Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is an economically important insect in Korea. Traditionally, it has been regarded as a medicine for preventing liver-related diseases and suppressing liver cancer. Recently, this beetle was enlisted as a temporal food ingredient by Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Therefore, this beetle is focused as a one of the important insects that are commercially reared and sold in Korea. As the economic importance of this beetle is growing, the suitable rearing conditions are needed for more detailed investigation. In this study, we compared three temperature conditions and two food additives, rice chaff and soybean cake, for its effects on the body weight change of third instar larvae of P. brevitarsis. Temperature is a major environmental factor that has tremendous effects on rearing insects. In additions, rice chaff and soybean cake are byproducts of other agricultural activities. Therefore, it is easy to get, and the price is comparatively low. However, they still have meaningful amount of nutrients. With four different kinds of feed and three temperature conditions on the third instar larvae of beetles, the body weight change was tracked for 14 wk. We concluded that 27.5℃ is the optimal temperature to rear the third instar larvae among three temperatures (25, 27.5, and 30℃). Among four different feeds, conventional fermented oak saw dust with rice chaff and soybean cake was the best feed for larval weight gain during 14 wk. However, feed with soybean cake at 30 ℃ was the best condition for rearing P. brevitarsis larvae when temperatures and feeds were compared at the same time.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.248-265
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• 2012

A total of 262 dietitians (in 97 college foodservices nationwide, 86 elementary school foodservices, and 79 middle & high school foodservices in the Changwon area) were given a survey questionnaire composed of 18 GMP and 29 SSOP items from May to July, 2011. As a whole, total usage level of GMP facilities (3.65/5 points) and total management level of SSOP (3.86) in college foodservices showed no significant differences compared to those in elementary school foodservices (GMP 3.74, SSOP 4.02) and middle & high school foodservices (GMP 3.75, SSOP 3.95). However, the results of this study suggest that seven items of the GMP facilities and five items of the SSOP should be improved for the development of the HACCP facility model in college foodservices. Those items that showed considerably lower points in GMP were as follows: 'Drain pipes from sinks of the cooking area are connected directly to the drain (3.74)' (P<0.001), 'The grease trap is installed outside the cooking area equipped with an oil separator (3.24)' (P<0.01), 'Entrance and the cooking area are adequately equipped with hand-washing and shoe disinfecting facilities (3.61)' (P<0.001), 'Cooking area, food storage, and dining area are adequately equipped with insect and rodent repellents (3.72)' (P<0.001), 'Cooking areas are equipped with air-conditioning/heating system and ventilation facility for maintenance of temperature and humidity (3.35)' (P<0.05), and 'Toilets for cooking staff only are provided; the its doorways are not directly accessible from the cooking area (3.25)' (P<0.01).

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.849-859
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• 2016

Edible insects have gained recognition worldwide as complementary protein sources. Recently, four edible insects were newly allowed to be used as food materials in Korea: the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), the cricket (Velarifictorus asperses), the white-spotted flower chaffer beetle larva (Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis), and the rhinoceros beetle larva (Allomyrina dichotoma). In this study, we evaluated the oxidative stabilities of these four edible insects during cold storage. The insects were sacrificed by blanching for 3 minutes in boiling water. The blanched insects were then stored at $4^{\circ}C$ in an incubator for 42 days. The color values, titratable acidity, peroxide values, acid values, TBARS, contents of VBN, and total plate counts of the insects were measured at days 0, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42, respectively. Blanching decreases oxidative stresses during storage. At day 0, the white-spotted flower chaffer beetle larva showed the highest values for acid value, TBARS, VBN, and microbial counts. Most of the oxidative indicators were significantly changed at day 14 in all four insects, possibly related with the growth on all microbial plates. Based on microbial safety and the oxidative stabilities of lipids and proteins, optimal storage conditions for the cricket, the white-spotted flower chaffer beetle larva, and the rhinoceros beetle larva were 10~14 days at $4^{\circ}C$. Likewise, the mealworm showed rapid oxidation after day 14, but poor qualities were not observed until day 28.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Bumblebees have been shown to be very effective pollinators for most greenhouse tomatoes. Neonicotinoid insecticides are one of the most widely used pesticides in tomato crops in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was carried out to investigate the toxicity of four neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) to bumblebees based on the OECD guidelines (No.246, 247). The 48 hr LD₅₀ (㎍ a.i. /bumblebee) values in the acute contact toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.467; dinotefuran, 3.741; imidacloprid, 3.967; and thiamethoxam, 0.747. The 48 hr LD₅₀ values in the acute oral toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.005; dinotefuran, 0.056; imidacloprid, 0.325; and thiamethoxam, 0.018. The acute contact and oral toxicity of the test insecticides to bumblebees from most to least toxic was clothianidin > thiamethoxam > dinotefuran > imidacloprid. CONCLUSION: This study provided the basic toxicological data of neonicotinoid insecticides for bumblebees. In the near future, acute toxicity and mixture toxicity of other pesticides to bumblebees could be determined using this method.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.447-454
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• 2023

In the environment in which humans live, there are various antigens that invade the human body and interfere with humans leading a healthy life, so the immune system recognizes the antigen then removes them through a complex mechanism. Macrophages are widely distributed immune cells involved in the innate immune system, and produce various immune modulators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase-induced nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase-2 induced prostaglandin E2 and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha. On the other hand, Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae are a type of edible insect that have emerged as an alternative to the future food supply problem. The immuno-modulatory effect through the activation of murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell via mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways has been reported. Based on this report, in this study, we confirmed how the expression of immune modulators induced by Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae extracts in RAW264.7 cells was changed by treatment with pharmacological inhibitors of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. As a result, reduction of immune modulators was confirmed in the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor treatment group and NF-κB inhibitor treatment group among the Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae-treated RAW264.7 cell. Furthermore, in the TLR4 inhibitor-treated group, decreases in phosphorylation of JNK and NF-κB factors were confirmed in Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae-treated RAW264.7 cell, as well as decreases in immune modulators. This results suggest that Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae activates RAW264.7 cells by the engagement of TLR4-JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.796-802
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• 2006

In order to investigate the anti-inflammatory and cellular protective effects of Atractomorpha lata Motschulsky, Oxya japonica japonica Thunberg and Stethophyma magister Rehn, we first examined hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells as well as antioxidant assays including DPPH and FRAP assays. We found that water, ethanol and methanol extracts of Oxya japonica japonica Thunberg and Stethophyma magister Rehn had potentials to anti-oxidant activity and especially water extract of Oxya japonica japonica Thunberg exhibited the most potent protective effects against $H-2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells by MTT assay. Taken Together, these findings indicate that water extract of Oxya japonica japonica Thunberg could be useful insect resources for agrobiotechnological or oriental medicinal purposes.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.421-429
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• 2016

Tenebrio molitor larvae contain large amounts of proteins, lipids and other functional materials, enabling this insect to be used as an edible food source in animal feeds and for industrialization. Although many efforts have been made to set up mass rearing systems, few studies have been conducted to establish optimal rearing conditions for the production of high quality T. molitor larvae. Herein we investigated 1) the effects of additional diets on the survival and fecundity of the insect, 2) the relationship between oviposition period and the uniformity of larval size, 3) the effects of rearing density and temperature on insect development, and 4) the storage stability of eggs and pupae at low temperatures given possible temporary production discontinuation. The addition of carrot and zucchini to the traditional wheat bran diet significantly increased the survival and fecundity rate of adult T. molitor. Of the three different oviposition sampling periods (3, 7, and 14 days) used to investigate the uniformity of the hatched larvae in each treatment, the period of 3 and 7 days provided higher uniformity than the 14 days oviposition period. Larval development was faster at $30^{\circ}C$ than at 20, 25, and $35^{\circ}C$. Interestingly, oviposition rates were highest at $20^{\circ}C$ but showed much slower larval development and lower uniformity at $30^{\circ}C$. Regarding the effect of larval rearing densities (1, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 larvae per 90 mm diam. dish), larval weight was significantly reduced at higher rearing densities, but larval longevity and length were not influenced by rearing density. The 30 larvae/dish is suggested to be a reasonable density to be applied to mass production systems. When kept at $4^{\circ}C$, T. molitor eggs showed a significant reduction in hatching rate; however, when stored under the same conditions, pupae emergence rates remained high until 10 weeks, suggesting that storage at low temperatures is more suitable for the pupal stage than the egg stage. Our findings suggest that an increase in T. molitor adult survival and fecundity rates and a uniformity of hatched larval development can be achieved with the following recommendations: a combination diet (including wheat bran), a 7-day oviposition period; a larvae-rearing temperature of $30^{\circ}C$, a rearing density of 30 larvae/dish, and the storage of pupal stages at low temperatures in the case of rearing discontinuation. This study serves as a strong foundation for the successful mass production of high quality T. molitor larvae.