Abstract:

Fifty 3-week-old SD rats were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups, namely treatment and control groups administered honeybee pupae peptide-rich protein powder and honeybee pupae protein powder for 4 consecutive weeks. Results showed that the contents of serum IgG, IgA and spleen index of rats treated with peptide-rich protein powder exhibited a significant increase (P＜0.05), whereas no effect on serum IgM content and thymus index. In addition, compared with the control group, an extremely significant decrease in blood glucose (P ＜ 0.01), a significant decrease in density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) content (P ＜0.05), and an increase in serum triglyceride (TG) content and density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) content (P ＜ 0.05) were observed in rats treated with peptide-rich protein powder. However, peptide-rich protein powder had no significant effect on the contents of serum free fatty acids (FFA) and serum total cholesterol (TC). Therefore, peptide-rich protein powder can enhance immune function, decrease blood glucose, and prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis.

Key words: honeybee pupae, peptide-rich protein powder, rat, immune function, blood glucose, blood lipid