(Jeonju=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jin-bang = The Rural Development Administration and Hallym University research team revealed on the 12th a study showing that hongjeom made from white silkworm cocoons promotes the proliferation of innate immune cells and suppresses cancer cells.
Hongjeom is made by steaming fully grown silkworms filled with silk protein, then freeze-drying and processing them. It contains various beneficial components such as amino acids, omega-3, fatty acids, and polyphenols, drawing attention as a health food.
The research team confirmed that both hongjeom and its extract promote the proliferation of macrophages (key cells responsible for innate immunity) and natural killer cells (innate immune cells that detect and kill abnormal cells like cancer or virus-infected cells), and enhance immune actions that recognize and eliminate cancer cells.
According to the study, the hongjeom extract promoted natural killer cell (NK92) proliferation by 7%. It also showed increased ability to eliminate brain tumor, blood cancer, and pancreatic cancer cells. Notably, the ability to remove brain tumor cancer cells (glioblastoma) increased by more than 3 times.
Specifically, when fed to immunocompromised experimental mice, hongjeom promoted B lymphocyte function in the spleen involved in immunity, increasing immune protein levels in the blood by 1.5 times. It also increased T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, enhancing the ability to detect and eliminate cancer cells by 1.3 times.
Additionally, the hongjeom extract was found to extend macrophage survival period and suppress nitric oxide (NO) generation and inflammatory cytokine secretion that worsen inflammatory responses. Through this, it promoted phagocytic and endocytic actions for searching and eliminating microorganisms and viruses by over 20 and 5 times, respectively.
The Rural Development Administration plans to file a patent for this research result and expand foundational research, including clinical trials, standardization of hongjeom raw materials, and automated mass production systems.
Byeon Young-woong, director of the Industrial Insect Division at RDA, stated, "We have revealed various efficacies of hongjeom, including preventing liver disease and improving cognitive