The yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), has long been used as a key study organism in many fundamental researches, including biochemistry, physiology, and behavior. Lifespan and reproduction are two of the most important components of fitness in all insects, but it remains largely unexplored how these two traits are influenced by macronutrient intake in this beetle. In this study, we used the nutritional geometry framework to analyze the complex and interactive effects of dietary protein and carbohydrate intake on lifespan and reproductive performance in T. molitor beetle. Lifespan and the number of eggs laid throughout the lifetime were quantified from more than 2,000 individual beetles provided with one of 35 chemically defined diets representing a full combination of seven protein-to-carbohydrate ratios (P:C= 0:1, 1:5, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, or 1:0) and five protein plus carbohydrate concentrations (P+C=25.2, 33.6, 42, 50.4, or 58.8 %, dry mass). All measures of lifespan and egg production were expressed highly at high caloric intake, but they differed in the optimal P:C ratio where traits peaked. While lifespan was the longest at a moderately carbohydrate-biased P:C ratio of 1:1.36, the rate of egg production was maximized at a protein-biased P:C ratio of 1.75:1, suggesting a possible nutrient-mediated trade-off between lifespan and daily reproductive efforts in T. molitor beetles. Lifetime egg production was maximized at a P:C ratio of 1.31:1, which was still protein-biased but lower than that maximized egg production rate. Reproductive lifespan was the longest at a P:C ratio of 1:1.06. When given a food choice, T. molitor beetles preferred a P:C ratio of 1:1, which is closest to the ratio that enables T. molitor beetles to stay reproductively active as long as possible.

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is an important industrial insect commercially produced around the world as food and feed. Temperature and nutrition are the two most influential environmental factors determining the rearing conditions in insects, but little is known about how these two factors interact to affect the performance of T. molitor larvae. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of temperature and dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio on key performance traits in T. moltior larvae. Throughout their larval stage, the insects were reared on one of 36 treatment combinations of six temperatures (19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 °C) and six protein:carbohydrate ratios (P:C = 1:5, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, 1:0) and their survivorship, development, growth rate, and pupal mass were monitored. Survivorship was high at low temperatures (< 25°C) and high P:C ratios (>1:1), but decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing P:C ratio. Increase in rearing temperature accelerated larval development but resulted in a reduced pupal mass. Thermal optimum for pupal mass (19.3°C) was thus lower than that for development time (28.1°C). The growth rate was maximized at 27.9°C and P:C 1.65:1 and decreased as both the temperature and the P:C ratio deviated from their optimum. All four key performance traits (survivorship, development time, pupal mass, growth rate) were optimized at temperatures between 25.7 and 27.4°C and P:C ratios between 1.17:1 and 2.94:1. Our data provide insights into how the production and nutritional value of T. molitor larvae can be improved through adjusting their rearing conditions.

최근 청소년들은 다양한 요인으로 스트레스 상황이 많아지고, 스트레스 지수가 높아짐에 따라 사회적으로 큰 문제로 대두되고 있다. 청소년기 정신건강의 문제는 그 시기에만 국한되는 것이 아니라 성인기 정신건강에도 영향을 미치기 때문에 그 중요성이 점차 크게 인식되고 있다. 특히 그 중에서도 청소년기의 우울은 가정생활 과 학교생활에서의 부적응, 자살, 성인이 된 후의 정서장애와 높은 관련성을 나타내므로 그 심각성이 크다고 할 수 있다. 지속적으로 신뢰할 수 있는 방식이면서, 삶의 짊을 향상시키기 위해 반복적으로 실천할 수 있는 도구로, 마인드풀니스에 대한 관심이 부쩍 높아지고 있다. 본 연구는 상용화된 게임에서 마인드풀니스 개념을 적용한 사례를 연구하고 이를 청소년을 위한 명상앱인 코알라에 적용하는 방법을 제시하고자 한다. 명상앱은 신체적 통증을 관리하거나 스트레스가 많은 상황에서 자신만의 차분한 대응이 필요할 때도 활용할 수 있고, 매일 지속적인 일상 습관 차원에서도 활용할 수 있다. 정적이고 지루하게 느껴질 수 있는 명상앱에 마인드풀 니스 게임 이론을 적용하여 청소년들의 흥미를 유발하여 지속적으로 어플리케이션을 사용할 수 있게 하는 것 이 이 연구의 목적이다

The Korean rhinoceros beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), has been traditionally used for the treatment of liverrelated diseases. Recently A. dichotoma was registered as a food ingredient in Korea. Given the increasing interest in this beetle, studies on the development of safe and nutritious feed sources for its commercial production are needed. In this study, we compared the effects of by-products on the growth of third instar larvae of A. dichotoma. An abundance of food by-products have been found to serve as an alternative energy source in animal feeds with the reduced cost. We fed third instar A. dichotoma larvae feeds consisting of fermented sawdust with nine different combinations of citrus peel, soybean curd cake, soybean oil meal, and brewers’ dried grain, and measured their effects on growth until the larvae pupated. The highest survival rate was in feed supplemented with 10% of brewers’ dried grain (66.7%). Especially, larvae fed on 10% of brewers’ dried grain were 26% heavier than the control (with no supplement). For the group of 10% brewers’ dried grain, the larval period of third instar was shortened by almost 28 days compared to the control group. Of the experimental and control groups, only the group of 10% brewers’ dried grain showed more than 90% of pupation rate. Therefore, brewers’ dried grain may be sufficiently useful as a source of feed for A. dichotoma.

Environmental temperature has strong impacts on the rate and efficiency of nutrient use in insects, but little is knownabout how changes in temperature influence their nutrient preference. Here we examined the effect of temperature onthe nutrient preferences of mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor L.) by offering them a choice between two nutritionallycomplementary diets (P:C 1:5 vs. 5:1) at four different temperatures (20, 25, 30, or 35 ̊C). Beetles selected protein andcarbohydrate in a 1:1 ratio at 25 and 30 ̊C, but exhibited a significant preference for carbohydrate at 20 and 35 ̊C. Theseresults indicate that nutrient preference can shift plastically to match the altered nutrient requirement of beetles underchanging thermal conditions. The present findings have implications for the impacts of climate warming on diet selectionin insects.

Recent research has suggested that the dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance is a critical determinant of fitness in insects. In this study, we examined the effects of dietary P:C balance on life-time reproductive success in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Both males and females lived the longest when fed on P:C 1:1 diet. Throughout their adult lives, females fed on P:C 1:1 diet laid significantly more eggs than those on nutritionally imbalanced diets (P:C 1:5 or 5:1). When given a choice, beetles regulated their intake of protein and carbohydrate to a ratio close to 1:1. Taken together, our results indicate the balanced intake of protein and carbohydrate maximizes life-time reproductive success in this species.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages all over the world. As the great demand of this product, adulteration coffee are distributed in market mixing fraud materials such as soybean, coffee husk, wheat, rice, corn, malt and barley. But there are no analytical methods for detecting the adulterated coffee. Monosaccharides(mannose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose), trigonelline, nicotinic acid as representative components of coffees can be used as chemical indices to qualitatively and quantitatively assess coffee authenticity. This study carried out on new analytical resources for detection of ground roasted coffee adulteration, investigating model system with roasted soybean, coffee husk, wheat, rice, corn, malt and barley as materials of fraud. It could be concluded that this method was efficient in discriminating different matrixes. Most monosaccharides, trigonelline, nicotinic acids were significant in 5%(w/w) mixed fraud material (p<0.05). These results correspond to monosaccharides, trigonelline, nicotinic acids of pure raw materials, confirming this use as a usefuldetection method of food adulterants in ground roasted coffee.

Protein and carbohydrate are the two most important macronutrients that have profound impacts on fitness and demography in most insects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance and mating status on feeding behavior, longevity and fecundity in male and female mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). In the first experiment, we measured the amount of protein and carbohydrate consumed by mated and unmated beetles of both sexes. Newly emerged beetles were allowed to mate for 24 h before they were simultaneously provided with two nutritional imbalanced but complementary synthetic diets (P:C =1:5 vs. 5:1) for 24 successive days. Mated females not only consumed significantly more nutrients but also exhibited a greater preference for protein than did mated males and unmated controls. In the second experiment, we determined longevity and fecundity from a total of 120 male and female beetles that were confined to feed on one of three no-choice foods differing in P:C balance (P:C=1:5,1:1 or5:1) throughout their entire lives. Fecundity was recorded as the total number of eggs laid by individual females until death. Both male and female beetles lived significantly longer and laid more eggs over the lifetime on a balanced diet (1:1) than on the two imbalance diets (1:5 and 5:1), suggesting that the Darwinian fitness was maximized when the diet was equally balanced in protein and carbohydrate. Mated male and female beetles had a shorter longevity compared to their unmated counterparts, indicating that there was a significant survival cost to mating in this insect.

Protein and carbohydrate are the two most important macronutrients that have profound consequences for the fitness of insects. Many insects are capable of balancing the intake of multiple nutrients to minimize the fitness costs associated with ingesting diets that are imbalanced with respect to protein and carbohydrate. It has been hypothesized that insects will redress the imbalance of their nutrient state through increasing the appetite for specific nutrients that are ingested in deficit. We tested this possibility using a mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Newly emerged beetles were confined to one of two nutritionally imbalanced foods that contained only protein or carbohydrate (P:C ratio = 0:42 and 42:0, expressed as % dry mass) for 16 days, after which they were given an opportunity to choose between two nutritionally imbalanced diets (0:42 versus 42:0). Over the first few days of the food choice, beetles that had previously experienced protein-limitation preferred protein to carbohydrate while the reverse was true for those that had experienced carbohydrate-shortage. Such contrasting patterns of diet preference observed between the two groups of beetles diminished subsequently as the insects recovered from nutrient imbalance. Our results provide strong support for the long-standing idea that attaining the right balance of nutrients is the main motive for foraging in insects.