식용곤충인 갈색거저리 유충을 기능성 소재로 활용하기 위하여 갈색거저리 유충 추출물의 산화방지 성분 및 활성을 확인하였다. 동결건조한 갈색거저리 유충 분말의 일반 성분은 수분함량 0.80 ± 0.06%, 조회분 3.29 ± 0.03%, 조단백질 54.07 ± 0.24%, 조지방 36.78 ± 0.66%이었다. 갈색 거저리 유충 분말의 ethanol 농도별(95%, 70%, 50%, 물) 추출물의 총 phenolic compounds 함량은 50% ethanol 추출물에서 459.23 ± 1.05 mg/100 g으로 가장 높았으며, 총 flavonoid compounds 함량은 물 추출물에서 19.86 ± 0.69 mg/100 g으로 가장 높았다. 갈색거저리 유충 분말 추출물의 DPPH radical 소거 활성은 70% ethanol 추출물에서 82.60 ± 0.00%로 가장 높았으며, 물, 50% ethanol, 95% ethanol 추출물 순으로 높았다. ABTS radical 소거 활성은 50% ethanol 및 물 추출물에서 각각 97.57 ± 0.16%와 95.33 ± 0.41%로 높게 나타났으며, 유의적 차이는 없었다. 환원력의 경우 물 추출물에서 유의적으로 가장 높았으며, 50% ethanol, 70% ethanol, 95% ethanol 추출물 순이었다. 본 연구결과 갈색거저리 유충의 산화방지 성분의 함량이 많고 산화방지 활성을 우수함을 확인하였으며, 기능성 소재로서 활용할 가치가 있는 것으로 나타났다.

The insects have been investigated as novel sources for foods and biomaterials in several recent studies. However,its effects on hair growth have not been sufficiently researched. To develop novel and natural materials for preventingalopecia and promoting hair growth, we investigated the antioxidant activity and hair growth promoting effect of Tenebriomolitor larvae extract (TME). As a result, DPPH radical scavenging activity was 81.17%, and nitrite scavenging activitywas 43.69%, which were similar to blueberry extract. And TME promoted the proliferation of human DPCs and NIH3T3cells, concentration dependently. In addition, the TME prevented not only DHT-induced DPCs cytotoxicity but also actionof TBM as a potassium channel blocker in NIH3T3 cells. These results suggest that TME can be used as a functionalmaterial for alopecia therapeutic reagent by preventing hair loss and promoting hair growth.

We recently reported the in vitro and in vivo antiobesity effects of Tenebrio molitor larvae, a traditional food in manycountries, but it remains unknown how the larvae affect appetite regulation in mice with diet-induced obesity. We hypothesizedthat the extract of T. molitor larvae mediates appetite by regulating neuropeptide expression. We investigated T. molitorlarvae extract's (TME's) effects on anorexigenesis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress–induced orexigenic neuropeptideexpression in the hypothalami of obese mice. Central administration of TME suppressed feeding by down-regulating theexpression of the orexigenic neuropeptides neuropeptide Y and agouti-related protein. T. molitor larvae extract significantlyreduced the expression of ER stress response genes. These results suggest that TME and its bioactive components arepotential therapeutics for obesity and ER stress–driven disease states.

Distillers dried grain (DDG) and makgeolli spent grain (MSG) are agricultural by-product to produce alcoholic beverage. However, they are known to contain enough nutrients. Mealworm is a promising insect resource for an animal feed ingredient as well as alternative human food. With low cost, DDG and MSG were investigated as a feed ingredient for rearing high quality mealworms. DDG and MSG were mixed with wheat bran and compared to control feed (only wheat bran) for its effects on larval survivorship, larval weight, duration for larval development, pupation rate, and pupal weight. Adding DDG on wheat bran showed positive results for larval weight, duration for larval developmental period, and pupation rate. However, adding MSG made longer duration for larval development, but it also improved larval weight, pupal weight with more than 90% pupation rate. We confirmed that adding 30～50% of DDG or MSG to conventional wheat bran have a strong potential to replace the conventional wheat bran insect feed for quality insect production.

갈색거저리의 온도에 따른 유충 발육시험을 15, 17, 20, 22, 25, 28 및 30℃의 7개 항온조건, 광주기 14L:10D, 상대습도 60~70% 조건에서 수행하였다. 유충은 13령까지 경과하였고 항온 조건에서 사망률은 17, 20℃에서 극소수 개체만이 발견되었고, 22℃ 이상의 항온조건에서는 발견되지 않았다. 유충의 발육기간은 17℃에서 244.3일로 가장 길었고, 30℃에서 110.8일로 가장 짧았다. 15℃는 부화되지 않아 유충 발육 조사가 불가능하였다. 온도와 발육율과의 관계를 알아보기 위하여 선형모형과 비선형모형(Logan 6)을 이용하였으며, 선형모형을 이용하여 추정한 전체유충의 발육영점온도는 6.0℃, 발육 유효적산온도는 2564.1DD 였으며 선형, 비선형 모두 결정계수값(r2) 이 0.95로 높은 값을 보였다. 전체유충의 발육완료분포는 2-parameter Weibull 함수를 사용하였으며 전체 유충의 결정계수 값은 0.8502~0.9390의 양호한 모형 적합성을 보였다.

A Tenebrio molitor larva that is called mealworm is widely used as feed for raising a pet. Also, it is the insect that would be produced as the edible food for human. For these reasons, many researchers are revealing about physiologic characteristic of Tenebrio molitor to make good use of it. However, morphological characteristic of different larval stage is not specifically indicated and researchers have different opinions about the average number of Tenebrio molitor’s instar until now. This study, therefore, was carried out to examine the physiological and morphological characteristics of Tenebrio molitor larva in different larval stages, and the average number of Tenebrio molitor’s instar. As a result, all of the Tenebrio molitor larvae had 7~8 days during their incubation period and 3~4 days during the 1st instar period. After the 1st instar, there were comparatively large differences in the number of days in each instar. Before emergence, most of the larvae comparatively showed 15th~17th instars, particularly, the largest rate of pupae (28.83%) was observed in the 17th instar. In terms of the body length of each Tenebrio molitor larval stage, the body length was gradually increased by the 17th instar. Beyond the 17th instar, however, the body length was smaller than 17th instar. In the 1st instar, the larva had white color, and the color gradually changed into brown from the 2nd instar. Through this study, we could identify the accurate incubation period, 1st instar period, the average number of instar, body length and the color change in different larval stages. These results would be used as a fundamental data for further study about the physiological and morphological characteristic of each instar period.

The developmental time of larvae of mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor was studied at six temperatures ranging from 17 to 30℃ with 60~70% RH, and a photoperiod of 14L:10D. Mortality of 1st~13th larva was very low at 17 and 20℃ but did not die over 22℃. Developmental time of larva decreased with increasing temperature. The total developmental time was longest at 17℃ (244.3 days) and shortest at 30℃ (110.8 days), suggesting that the higher temperature, the faster development period. The lower developmental threshold temperature and effective accumulative temperatures for the total larval stages were 6.0℃ and 2564.1 day-degrees. The relationship between developmental rate and temperature fitted a linear model and nonlinear model by Logan-6 (r2=0.95). The distribution of completion of each development stage was well described by the 3-parameter Weibull function (r2=0.89).