Exploring the Role of a Novel Peptide from Allomyrina dichotoma Larvae in Ameliorating Lipid Metabolism in Obesity.

Sung Mun Bae,Meiqi Fan,Eun-Kyung Kim,Kyungjae Myung,Byung-Gyu Kim,Young-Jin Choi,Gwanghui Jeong,Yujiao Tang

doi:10.3390/ijms21228537

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify an anti-obesity peptide from Allomyrina dichotoma and investigate the lipid metabolic mechanism. Enzymatically hydrolyzed A. dichotoma larvae were further separated using tangential flow filtration and consecutive chromatographic processes. Finally, an anti-obesity peptide that showed the highest inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation was obtained, and the sequence was Glu-Ile-Ala-Gln-Asp-Phe-Lys-Thr-Asp-Leu (EIA10). EIA10 decreased lipid aggregation in vitro and significantly reduced the accumulation of body weight gain, liver weight, and adipose tissue weight in high-fat-fed mice. Compared with the control group, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in the high-fat diet (HFD) group increased significantly, and the content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) in the serum decreased significantly. On the contrary, the levels of TC, TG, and insulin in the EIA10 group decreased significantly, and the HDL content increased significantly compared with the HFD group. Additionally, EIA10 dramatically decreased mRNA and protein levels of transcription factors involved in lipid adipogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest that EIA10 could be a promising agent for the treatment and prevention of obesity.

Highlights

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has recently proposed that edible insects be used, such as the rhinoceros beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus), as potential food resources due to their high-quality proteins and vitamins [1,2], which may alleviate food shortage and delay global warming
Our aim was to investigate the improvement in lipid metabolism induced by EIA10 in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice characterized by early onset of obesity and several physiological abnormalities of obesity
Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels that were significantly increased in HFD-fed mice were significantly reduced by EIA10 (Table 2). These results indicate that EIA10 can effectively balance lipid levels in HFD mice and alleviate liver injury induced by high-fat diet to some extent

Summary

Introduction

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has recently proposed that edible insects be used, such as the rhinoceros beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus), as potential food resources due to their high-quality proteins and vitamins [1,2], which may alleviate food shortage and delay global warming. The Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Allomyrina dichotoma, inhabits broad-leaved forests in mountainous habitats and lives for approximately 12 months in the wild [3]. Breeding these beetles would save space, time, and human labor owing to their short generation times and small body sizes [4]. A. dichotoma belongs to the family Scarabaeidae and the order Coleoptera. The larvae have been traditionally used to treat liver-related diseases and diabetes [5]. Several studies have demonstrated that a boiled extract of A. dichotoma has anti-hepatofibrotic, anti-neoplastic, antibiotic, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects [6,7,8]

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