Twenty-Eight-Day Repeated Oral Administration of Protaetia Brevitarsis Larvae in Rats

There are abundant resources in the natural world for use in traditional medicine and foodstuffs. The arthropod Protaetia brevitarsis, an insect consumed in some parts of Korea to treat liver-related ailments, is one such example. In this study, we evaluated the safety and potential toxicity of Protaetia brevitarsis larvae following 28-day repeated oral administration to rats. The study included assessments of clinical observations, body weights, and food consumption, as well as clinical pathological and histopathological evaluations. We observed no statistically significant treatment-related effects in any parameters studied. We conclude that oral administration of Protaetia brevitarsis larvae in rats up to a dose level of 3000 mg/kg/day produces no adverse effects.