혈당 조절에 도움을 줄 수 있는 건강기능식품 기능성 원료로 인증을 받은 동결건조 누에분말의 일반 성분 및 영양 성분에 대하여 보고된 바를 고찰하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻을 수 있었다. 1. 동결건조 누에분말의 일반 성분은 조단백질 57.7%, 조지방 9.5%, 조섬유 5.4%, 회분 9.3%, 수분 4.7% 내외였다. 식육성 재료나 식용 곤충에 비하여 단백질 성분이 높고 지방 성분은 낮았다. 2. 동결건조 누에분말을 이루고 있는 주요 아미노산은 glutamic acid와 aspartic acid로 아미노산의 조성은 누에의 성장 단계에 따른 차이가 있었다. 3. 동결건조 누에분말은 포화지방산과 불포화지방산이 약 3:7의 비율로 있으며, linolenic acid 34.7%, oleic acid 24.4%, palmitic acid 20.2%, stearic acid 9.2%, linoleic acid 7.7%가 많이 포함되어 있다. 4. 동결건조 누에분말에 많이 포함되어 있는 5대 무기물은 칼륨, 인, 칼슘, 마그네숨, 황 등이 있으며, 그 외에도 구리, 망간, 아연, 철 등의 무기물을 가지고 있다.

Mature silkworms (MS) of Bombyx mori have enlarged silk glands, which are known to be enriched with various functional materials. A special steaming method has been developed for processing MS with enlarged silk glands edible, by which the MS have become a potential health supplement for improving the quality of life. Steamed and lyophilized MS powder (SMSP) has been strongly believed to have various unidentified beneficial effects for humans. Therefore, the purpose of this mini-review is to summarize the various health promoting functionalities of SMSP, which have been published in the paper so far. Firstly, SMSP increased healthspan as well as lifespan, locomotor ability, and resistance to Parkinson's disease by enhancing olfaction and mitochondrial activity in neurons. Secondly, SMSP increased resistance to carcinogens causing liver cancers, improved both acute and chronic liver function with alcohol metabolism, and prevented alcohol induced stomach ulcers. Thirdly, SMSP reduced UVB-induced skin pigmentations and melanogenesis. Taken together, SMSP can be regarded as a promising natural health product to increase incomes for sericultural farm households in Korea as well as global human health and welfare.

Sericin has been removed in textile industry to improve the luster and hand of silk textile. Therefore, the sericin was considered as useless material. However, recently sericin has attracted researcher's attention since unique properties of sericin including high water retention, UV protection, and wound healing effect were reported. In spite of the useful properties of sericin as biomedical and cosmetic materials, its poor mechanical properties have restricted its industrial use in biomedical and cosmetic fields. To improve the mechanical properties, various sericins were prepared by different conditions, and the effects of the preparation condition on the structure and properties of sericin were examined. In this review paper, research trend in the structure and properties of sericin prepared with different conditions were intensively introduced.