In Vitro Protective Effect of Paste and Sauce Extract Made with Protaetia brevitarsis Larvae on HepG2 Cells Damaged by Ethanol

We made paste and sauce using protein-rich Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBL) and evaluated their fermentation levels. After pretreatment with the paste and sauce extracts, HepG2 cells were damaged with ethanol (EtOH), and then the effects of the paste and sauce were evaluated. As a result, we confirmed that the PBL paste and sauce extracts reduced the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) content in the medium as compared to soybean (Glycine max) sauce and paste extracts. In addition, the PBL paste and sauce extracts significantly lowered the level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, which are biomarkers of inflammation, and significantly increased the inhibition rate of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH), which are antioxidative indicators, in proportion to the amount of PBL added to the paste and sauce. These results suggest that an intake of PBL paste and sauce, a novel type of fermented food made from insects, may be effective for liver protection through anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects against hepatocyte injury caused by EtOH.