School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Research II (Rm,37), Bremen, D-28759, Germany.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2013 Jan 16;9:7. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-7.
In terms of scientific activities generally and ethnobiological pursuits in particular, North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is an almost blank entity on the quilt of global research. During a sabbatical semester at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology the author used this opportunity to gather some information on the uses of insect and other terrestrial arthropods as human food and components of traditional healing methods in that country. Despite the widely publicised shortcomings in the supply of food stuffs to the population of North Korea, insects are not generally seen as a source of food worthy of exploitation. However, the therapeutic use of insects, centipedes and scorpions to treat illnesses as diverse as the common cold, skin rashes, constipation, dysentery, nervous prostration, whooping cough, osteomyelitis, tetanus, and various forms of cancer is apparently still popular. The arthropods used therapeutically are credited with anti-inflammatory, immunological and other health-promoting effects, because they are said to contain hormones, steroids, lipids and plant-derived alkaloids, all of which capable of exerting their effects on the human body.
在科学活动方面，尤其是在民族生物学研究方面，朝鲜（正式名称为朝鲜民主主义人民共和国）在全球研究领域几乎是一个空白实体。在平壤科技大学的一个休假学期中，作者利用这个机会收集了一些关于该国利用昆虫和其他陆地节肢动物作为人类食物以及传统治疗方法成分的信息。尽管朝鲜人民的食物供应存在广泛宣传的短缺问题，但昆虫一般不被视为值得开发的食物来源。然而，昆虫、蜈蚣和蝎子的治疗用途，包括治疗感冒、皮疹、便秘、痢疾、神经衰竭、百日咳、骨髓炎、破伤风和各种形式的癌症等各种疾病，显然仍然很受欢迎。据说，这些用于治疗的节肢动物具有抗炎、免疫和其他促进健康的作用，因为它们含有激素、类固醇、脂质和植物衍生的生物碱，所有这些都能对人体产生影响。
