• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2003

Dissolution of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber was carried out in a zinc nitrate 6 hydrate (Zn(NO$_3$)$_2$ㆍ6$H_2O$) solution with various dissolving conditions. The solubility was significantly dependent on the concentration of zinc nitrate, dissolving temperature and time. Regenerated A. pernyi silk fibroin powder was obtained through dialysis process to remove chaotropic salt. FTIR and X-ray diffractometer showed that the conformation of regenerated A. pernyi silk powder was sheet structure.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2011

The effect of diet supplementation of Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) silk fibroin on the lipid metabolism and antioxidant defense status in high fat-fed mice was investigated. The animals were given normal control diet (NC group), high fat diet (HF group), or high fat diet supplemented with A. pernyi silk fibroin powder (HFS group) for 7 weeks. After the experimental period, the HF group showed significant increase in body weight, plasma and hepatic total cholesterol levels, and hepatic triglyceride concentration, and decreased activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes relative to NC group. However, the HFS group exhibited marked reduction in body weight, plasma cholesterol and hepatic triglyceride levels, hepatic lipogenic enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation rate, and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol level, fecal triglyceride content, and antioxidant enzymes activities compared with that of HF group. These findings demonstrate that dietary feeding of A. pernyi silk fibroin could improve the lipid metabolism and antioxidant defense system via regulation of hepatic antioxidant and lipogenic enzymes activities. Hence, this silk fibroin may be beneficial as a functional biomaterial for the development of therapeutic agent against high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia and its related diseases.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2013

Antheraea pernyi silkworm is one of typical wild silkworms, which spins a tawny color cocoon. The cocoon has been used as a resource for textile material due to strong chemical stability and good mechanical properties. In this study, to increase the solubility efficiency of A. pernyi silk fibroin, the composition of dissolution solvent were examined. Calcium chloride tertiary system, normally used for dissolution of Bombyx mori silk fibroin, does not act on A. pernyi silk fibroin. Calcium nitrate system dissolves A. pernyi silk fibroin, and calcium nitrate ethanol system do more easily than calcium nitrate system. Amino acid composition of A. pernyi silk fibroin obtained after dissolution is mainly composed of alanine, glycine, and serine. A. pernyi silk fibroin would be used for non-textile applications near future.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2002

Dissolution of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber was carried out in a zinc chloride solution with various dissolving conditions. The solubility was significantly dependent on the concentration of zinc chloride, dissolving temperature and time. The proper conditions of dissolution were found as 8 M zinc chloride, 70$^{\circ}C$ temperature and 30 min dissolving time. Regenerated A. pernyi silk fibroin powder was obtained through dialysis. FTIR and XRD showed that regenerated A. pernyi silk powder was composed of a ${\beta}$-sheet as well as an ${\alpha}$-helix conformation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.10-13
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• 2000

To develope the genetic source of oak wild silkworm, Antheraea yamamai, the cDNA library was constructed with poly A+ mRNA isolated from posterial silk gland of fifth instar larvae. Titer of the cDNA library was about 5.1$\times$105 pfu in total. We presumed that the titer covered almost all transcripts existed in Antherea yamamai. From cDNA library of Antheraea yamamai, fibroin heavy chain gene, which is specifically expressed from posterial silk gland of Antheraea yamamai, was screened using oligonuclotide probe specific to alanine rich motif of fibrin heavy chain gene of Antheraea pernyi. As a result, fibroin clones isolated from 5$\times$104 plaques showed the highest homolgy (95%) with that of Antherea pernyi in nucleotide of Anthereaea yamamai and Bombyx mori shows that there is no homologous sequence in the 3+ partial 채야후 region Genomic southern hybridization suggested that one copy is present. Northern hybridization showed that fibroin transcript was approximateely 9 kb in length.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.114-119
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• 2000

Effects of ethanlo treatment on the structural and thermal characteristics of regenerated Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (RSF) were investigated. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry showed that the conformational transition of RSF might be affected by concentration of ethanol and its treatment time. The structure of RSF was rapidly changed from random coil to $\beta$-sheet conformation when RSF was treated with les than 75% ethanol concentration. However, RSF treated with ethanol(100%) did not show conformational change. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that exotherm at 232$\^{C}$ disappeared and the intensity of endotherm at 228$\^{C}$ decreased with treatment of 75% ethanol. Dynamic thermal analysis showed that loss modulus (E") and tan $\delta$$\_$E/ of RSF treated with aqueous ethanol was broaden and shifted to higher temperature in comparison with those of untreated RSF.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2006

Silk fibroin (SF) fiber from the Antheraea pernyi silkworm was treated with a 1.23 N iodine-potassium iodide ($I_2-KI$) aqueous solution, and the structure and physical properties were investigated to clarify the effects of the iodine treatment. The noticeably high weight gain value of SF fiber, about 25 wt% was attributed to the absorption of polyiodide ions in the form of $I_3{^-}\;and\;I_5{^-}$. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements suggested that polyiodide ions mainly entered the amorphous region. In addition, a new sharp reflection on the meridional direction, corresponding to a period of $7.0{\AA}$, was observed and indicated the possibility of the formation of mesophase structure of ${\beta}$-conformation chains. Dynamic viscoelastic measurements showed that the damping tan ${\delta}$ peak at $270^{\circ}C$ gradually shifted to lower temperature in the iodinated SF fibers, suggesting an enhancement of the molecular motion of the fibroin chains induced by the presence of polyiodide ions. With heating above $254^{\circ}C$, the iodine component introduced intermolecular cross-linking of SF, and the melt flow of the sample was inhibited. The thermal decomposition stability of fibroin molecules was greatly enhanced by iodine treatment.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 1999

Antheraea pernyi silk powder was prepared by treatment with HCl and NaOH. The degree of hydrolysis of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber was examined. The morphology and structural characteristics of Antheraea pernyi silk powder were investigated by using SEM, FTIR and X-ray diffractometer. As the concentration of HCl and NaOH and tratment temperature increased, in general, the degree of hydrolysis of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber increased. On the other hand, the degree of hydrolysis of Antheraea pernyi treated with 3 N NaOH at 120$^{\circ}C$ for 24 hr was 70 wt%, which was lower than that of 90$^{\circ}C$(83 wt%). The morphology of acid/alkali resistance fraction of Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin was transformed from fiber form to powered one with an increase of hydrolysis. The conformation of Antheraea pernyi silk powder characterized by FT-IR spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer ${\beta}$-sheet and ${\alpha}$-helix structure.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2000

In order to understand molecular events during silk synthesis and provide genetic resources for molecular breeding, we had analyzed the cDNA library constructed from the posterior silkgland of Antheraea yamamai and partially sequenced 276 randomly selected genes from the cDNA library. Database comparisons of the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) revealed that 26 non-redundant clones showed a high similarity with previously identified genes. Among them, 17 clones exhibited a homology with previously identified insect genes and 9 clones were identical to genes that were previously identified from other organisms. A functional categorization showed that silk synthesis-defense- or stress-related genes, as well as genes involved in the metabolic pathways and in the transcriptional or translational apparatus are represented. In this report, the clone (AY479) which had high similarity with fibroin from A. pernyi was particularly analyzed in detail. The AY479 clone was carboxyl terminal region of fibroin. The 472 bp cDNA has 123 amino acids that shared 85% homology with the fibroin from A. pernyi and its deduced peptide had unique feature, that is, sites of alanine rich residues.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.111-115
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• 2014

Purpose: This study evaluated powdered burn wound dressing materials from wild silkworm fibroin in an animal model. Methods: Fifteen rats were used in this experiment. Full-thickness $2{\times}2cm$ burn wounds were created on the back of rats under anesthesia. In the two experimental groups, the wounds were treated with two different dressing materials made from silkworm fibroin. In the Control Group, natural healing without any dressing material was set as control. The wound surface area was measured at five days, seven days and 14 days. Wound healing was evaluated by histologic analysis. Results: By gross observation, there were no infections or severe inflammations through 14 days post-injury. The differences among groups were statistically significant at seven days and 14 days, postoperatively (P<0.037 and 0.001, respectively). By post hoc test, the defect size was significantly smaller in experimental Group 1 compared with the Control Group and experimental Group 2 at seven days postoperatively (P=0.022 and 0.029, respectively). The difference between Group 1 and Group 2 was statistically significant at 14 days postoperatively (P<0.001). Group 1 and control also differed significantly (P=0.002). Group 1 showed a smaller residual scar than the Control Group and Group 2 at 14 days post-injury. Histologic analysis showed more re-epithelization in Groups 1 and 2 than in the Control Groups. Conclusion: Burn wound healing was accelerated with silk fibroin spun by wild silkworm Antheraea pernyi. There was no atypical inflammation with silk dressing materials. In conclusion, silk dressing materials can be used for treatment of burn wound.