• Title/Summary/Keyword: mealworm protein

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Developmental characteristics of Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae in different instars

  • Kim, Sun Young;Kim, Hong Geun;Song, Sung Ho;Kim, Nam Jung
    • International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.45-49
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    • 2015
  • The giant mealworm beetle, Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is reared for commercial purposes as a live feed for animals. In 2011, it was officially introduced in Korea, and since then it has been considered commercially important. This beetle is a good animal feed resource because of its high protein content with balanced nutrients. However, its life stage characteristics have not been clearly described, especially of the larval stage that can be used as commercial products. To this end, in our study, we determined the number of Z. atratus larval instars, and described their characteristics at each stage, providing basic information about this beetle. Z. atratus larvae required eight to nine d of incubation period before hatching. The first instar period comprised three to four d. There were relatively large variations in each instar period, except for the first instar. Before the adults emerged, most of the individuals passed through15 to 18 instars. The highest pupation rate, 25.71%, was observed in both 16th and 17th instars. Body length gradually increased with each successive instar and it reached its maximum at the 18th instar. The color of larvae was white at the first instar, and gradually turned brown after the second instar.

Study on the Oxidative and Microbial Stabilities of Four Edible Insects during Cold Storage after Sacrificing with Blanching Methods (블랜칭법으로 희생한 4종 식용 곤충의 냉장 저장 중 산화 안정성)

  • Son, Yang-Ju;Ahn, Whee;Kim, Soo-Hee;Park, Hyo-Nam;Choi, Soo-Young;Lee, Dong-Gue;Kim, An-Na;Hwang, In-Kyeong
    • 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.

Change in Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status Using Mealworms as Hospital Meal in Postoperative Patie (갈색거저리를 이용한 식사 섭취에 따른 영양 섭취 및 영양상태 변화 : 수술 후 환자를 대상으로)

  • Kim, Seong Hyeon;Shon, Jin Young;Park, Jun Sung;Kim, Jong Won;Kang, Jung Hyun;Yun, Eun Young;Hwang, Jae Sam;Kim, Hyung Mi
    • Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.292-309
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    • 2016
  • The purpose of this study was to verify the validity of Mealworms as a hospital meal with increased nutrition density. We provided a meal for postoperative patients and conducted analysis of dietary intake and nutritional status of patients and assessment of acceptability of the meal. This study was carried out as a randomized control trial. Patients were supplied either a hospital meal using Mealworms (Experimental group) or a regular hospital meal (Control group). We investigated the administration amounts of parenteral nutrition (PN) and food intake of patients after surgery and measured anthropometry, body composition, and blood tests before surgery and at hospital discharge. We included 34 postoperative patients who were admitted to Gangnam Severance Hospital from March to September. In the groups of patients not supplied with PN, the experimental group ($964.68{\pm}284.6kcal$, $38.82{\pm}12.9g$) had significantly higher dietary calorie and protein intake than the control group ($666.62{\pm}153.7kcal$, $24.47{\pm}4.9g$)(P<0.05). Additionally in the group of patients not supplied with PN, the experimental group (1.37%) showed a significantly higher increase in fat free mass index than the control group (-3.46%)(P<0.05). In all subjects, calorie density and protein density were significantly higher in the experimental group (P<0.001), and acceptability of calorie (P=0.036) and protein (P=0.001) was also significantly higher in the experimental group. Therefore, the results of this study support the validity of the introduction of hospital meals using Mealworms.

Insect meal as a feed ingredient for poultry

  • Elahi, Usman;Xu, Chang-chun;Wang, Jing;Lin, Jing;Wu, Shu-geng;Zhang, Hai-jun;Qi, Guang-hai
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.35 no.2_spc
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    • pp.332-346
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    • 2022
  • Shortage of protein feed resources is the major challenge to the world farm animal industry. Insects are known as an alternative protein source for poultry. A wide range of insects are available for use in poultry diets. Insect larvae thrive in manure, and organic waste, and produce antimicrobial peptides to protect themselves from microbial infections, and additionally these peptides might also be functional in poultry feed. The feed containing antimicrobial peptides can improve the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal health, and immune function in poultry. Insect meal contains a higher amount of essential amino acids compared to conventional feedstuffs. Black soldier fly, mealworm, housefly, cricket/Grasshopper/Locust (Orthoptera), silkworm, and earthworm are the commonly used insect meals in broiler and laying hen diets. This paper summarizes the nutrient profiles of the insect meals and reviews their efficacy when included in poultry diets. Due to the differences in insect meal products, and breeds of poultry, inconsistent results were noticed among studies. The main challenge for proper utilization, and the promising prospect of insect meal in poultry diet are also addressed in the paper. To fully exploit insect meal as an alternative protein resource, and exert their functional effects, modes of action need to be understood. With the emergence of more accurate and reliable studies, insect meals will undoubtedly play more important role in poultry feed industry.

Evaluation of Genotoxicity and 28-day Oral Dose Toxicity on Freeze-dried Powder of Tenebrio molitor Larvae (Yellow Mealworm)

  • Han, So-Ri;Yun, Eun-Young;Kim, Ji-Young;Hwang, Jae Sam;Jeong, Eun Ju;Moon, Kyoung-Sik
    • Toxicological Research
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.121-130
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    • 2014
  • The larval form of Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) has been eaten in many countries and provides benefits as a new food source of protein for humans. However, no information exists regarding its safety for humans. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxicity and repeated dose oral toxicity of the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae. The genotoxic potential was evaluated by a standard battery testing: bacterial reverse mutation test, in vitro chromosome aberration test, and in vivo micronucleus test. To assess the repeated dose toxicity, the powder was administered once daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at dose levels of 0, 300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg/day for 28 days. The parameters which were applied to the study were mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination. The freezedried powder of T. molitor larvae was not mutagenic or clastogenic based on results of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. Furthermore, no treatment-related changes or findings were observed in any parameters in rats after 28 days oral administration. In conclusion, the freeze-dried powder of T. molitor larvae was considered to be non-genotoxic and the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) was determined to be 3000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of SD rats under our experimental conditions.

Changes in Food Composition of Tenebrio molitor by Life Stage (생애주기에 따른 갈색거저리의 식품성분 변화)

  • Lee, Ju-Hye;Lee, Jiyoon;Whang, Jinbong;Nam, Jin-Sik;Han, Hye-Kyung;Kim, So-Min;Im, Jeong Yeon;Choi, Youngmin;Kim, Haeng Ran;Kim, Se-Na
    • 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.

Pre-treatment conditions on the powder of Tenebrio molitor for using as a novel food ingredient (갈색거저리의 식품 원료화를 위한 분말제조 조건 확립)

  • Chung, Mi Yeon;Kwon, Eun-Young;Hwang, Jae-Sam;Goo, Tae-Won;Yun, Eun-Young
    • Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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    • v.51 no.1
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    • pp.9-14
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    • 2013
  • Although the mealworm larva (Tenebrio molitor) is high protein source, aversion feature of the larva made it difficult for consuming as a food. In this study, we established optimal powder manufacturing process for T. molitor larva for using as a novel food. For this purpose, it should be feed with the bran sterilized by water vapor for 3-5 days, starved without water or food for 3 days, and then the larvae were sterilized before freeze-drying. The sterilized T. molitor was lyophilzed and grinded by a blender. A safety of the powder as a food was validated by evaluation of Raw 264.7 macrophage cytotoxicity using MTS assay. As above results, we propose that optimal powder manufacturing process established in this study can be used in industrial production of T. molitor as a novel food.

Characteristics of seasoning pastes fermented by Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis using edible insects (장류 미생물을 이용한 식용곤충 발효 조미페이스트 제조 및 품질특성)

  • Zhao, Huiling;Cho, Joo-Hyoung;Chung, Chang-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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    • v.50 no.3
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    • pp.297-307
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    • 2018
  • The aim of this study was to develop a seasoning paste fermented by Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis using three edible insects: Tenebrio molitor larvae, Gryllus bimaculatus, and Bombyx mori pupa. No significant changes in pH and titratable acidity were observed between the insect pastes and soybean control during a 5-week fermentation process. The amino nitrogen was 0.35-0.50% (w/w) in the early stage of the fermentation and increased to 0.72-0.78%. The total nitrogen was 2.36-3.62% (w/w) in the early stage and was preserved during the fermentation period. Free amino acids of the insect pastes were similar to those in soybean paste. In general, the fermented insect pastes showed a lower flavor and color than soybean paste but B. mori pupa-fermented paste did not show any significant difference in preference from soybean. Glutamate, aspartate, lysine, phenylalanine, arginine, and serine were found to affect taste preference. It was possible to ferment edible insect protein to produce a fermented seasoning paste like Korean doenjang.

Anti-inflammatory Activity of Antimicrobial Peptide Zophobacin 1 Derived from the Zophobas atratus (아메리카왕거저리 유래 항균 펩타이드 조포바신 1의 항염증활성)

  • Shin, Yong Pyo;Lee, Joon Ha;Kim, In-Woo;Seo, Minchul;Kim, Mi-Ae;Lee, Hwa Jeong;Baek, Minhee;Kim, Seong Hyun;Hwang, Jae Sam
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.30 no.9
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    • pp.804-812
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    • 2020
  • The giant mealworm beetle, Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) has been used as a protein source for small pets and mammals. Recently, it was temporarily registered in the list of the Food Code. We previously performed an in silico analysis of the Zophobas atratus transcriptome to identify putative antimicrobial peptides and identified several antimicrobial peptide candidates. Among them, we assessed the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of zophobacin 1 that was selected bio-informatically based on its physicochemical properties against microorganisms and mouse macrophage Raw264.7 cells. Zophobacin 1 showed antimicrobial activities against microorganisms without inducing hemolysis and decreased the nitric oxide production of the lipopolysaccharide-induced Raw264.7 cells. Moreover, ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that zophobacin 1 reduced expression levels of pro-inflammatory enzymes such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). We also investigated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β) production through quantitative real time-PCR and ELISA. Zophobacin 1 markedly reduced the expression level of cytokines through the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. We confirmed that zophobacin 1 bound to bacterial cell membranes via a specific interaction with lipopolysaccharides. These data suggest that zophobacin 1 could be promising molecules for development as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents.

Comparative Analysis of Nutrients and Hazardous Substances in Zophobas atratus Larvae (탈지 전, 후 아메리카왕거저리(Zophobas atratus) 유충의 영양성분 및 유해물질 비교분석)

  • Kim, Sun Young;Kim, Hong Geun;Ko, Hyeon-Jin;Kim, Mi Ae;Kim, In Woo;Seo, Minchul;Lee, Joon Ha;Lee, Hwa Jeong;Baek, Minhee;Hwang, Jae Sam;Yoon, Hyung Joo
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.29 no.12
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    • pp.1378-1385
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    • 2019
  • The nutritional composition and optimal eating stage of the super mealworm, Zophobas atratus (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae), were investigated to explore its use as a food ingredient. It was determined that 10th instar larvae were most suitable for eating in terms of nutritional value as well as economic aspects. To improve the quality of powder production, the nutritional value of 10th instar larvae before and after degreasing was analyzed. After drying the larvae powder, crude protein was the most abundant nutrient both before (52.3%) and after (60.6%) degreasing while crude fat measured 36.3% and 21.7% before and after degreasing, respectively. In terms of essential amino acids, leucine levels were highest and 1.3 times greater after degreasing (4.5%) than before (3.5%). Oleic acid, the highest unsaturated fatty acid in larvae, was 31.7% after degreasing which was 1.1 times higher than before (33.2%). Among various major minerals, potassium was most abundant and 1.4 times higher after degreasing (1267.0 mg/100 g) than before (879.3 mg/100 g). Harmful substances were 1.3 to 2.0 times lower in the degreased larvae, although mercury or pathogenic bacteria were not detected in either group. We therefore conclude that degreased Z. atratus larvae are more suitable for eating than before degreasing.