Dietary Intake of Enzymatically Processed Bee Larvae Mitigates Progressive Noise-Induced Hearing Impairment in Mice

Bee larvae (BL) have a long history of use as both traditional medicine and food. Given that BL contain anti-inflammatory lipids and immune-modulating components, they may be efficacious against hearing loss and tinnitus. In this study, we investigated the effects of enzymatically processed BL on the suppression of hearing loss using mouse models of acute acoustic injury and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). In an assay where C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a single 5-min burst of 110 dB white noise, pre-treatment with BL was found to reduce transient acoustic damage. Furthermore, under conditions of repeated 10-min noise exposures to induce NIHL, consumption of enzymatically processed BL mitigated the progression of hearing impairment. Additionally, antioxidant activity was confirmed in the enzymatically processed BL. Cellular assays and analysis of hexane extract fractions suggested that BL reduces noise-induced oxidative stress in the inner ear. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that enzymatically processed BL exert protective effects against the progression of hearing loss.