Protective Effect of Protaetia brevitarsis Larvae Extract on Alcoholic Liver Disease in Mice

Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBLs) are edible insects traditionally used in oriental medicine to manage various liver diseases, including hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatic cancer. However, the effects of PBL water extract (PBLE) on alcohol-induced liver disease remain unexplored. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of PBLE using a chronic-plus-single-binge ethanol feeding model. PBLE (100 or 200 mg/kg/day) was orally administered in combination with an ethanol diet. Mice were euthanised 9 h post-binge, and serum and liver tissues were collected for histological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Six components (adenine, adenosine, hypoxanthine, inosine, benzoic acid, and uridine) were isolated from PBLE by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. PBLE treatment alleviated hepatic morphological changes, such as lipid droplet accumulation and hepatocytic ballooning, and reduced the elevated liver enzymes and triglyceride levels in the serum. Moreover, PBLE attenuated against the altered expression of alcohol metabolism-related enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and cytochrome P450 2E1) in the liver. PBLE also exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects by normalizing the hepatic expression of p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, as well as nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, haem oxygenase 1, glutathione peroxidase 3, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. In conclusion, PBLE may exert therapeutic effects on alcohol-induced liver injury by improving alcohol metabolism and reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings indicate that the edible beetle PBLs may serve as a hepatoprotective functional food ingredient.