• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2024

The mature Bombyx mori silkworm is recognized as a rich source of several nutrients. A unique steaming process has been developed to enhance the palatability of Bombyx mori silkworm and make it more convenient to consume. Additionally, it has also been freeze-dried into a powder form, which is recognized as a nutritional supplement with many health benefits. Steamed and Freeze-dried Mature Silkworm Powder (SMSP) is said to offer a wide range of benefits, including longevity, improved athletic performance, prevention of alcohol-induced liver fibrosis or tumors, amelioration of fatty liver, prevention of peptic ulcers, regulation of melanin production, and mitigation of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases by improving cognitive function. The nutritional composition of SMSP is particularly high in glycine, alanine and serine. This review aims to summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying the diverse effects induced by these key components of SMSP. Such elucidation will enhance the credibility of future studies on SMSP, which will require more comprehensive analyses. It appears that SMSP represents a natural health supplement that could have a positive impact on global human health while increasing income.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2020

Silkworm powder was prepared from 3^rd day of 5^th instar silkworm through various drying technology including freeze drying, hot wind drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying. The shape of silkworm dried was different with the drying methods. Freeze drying and microwave drying silkworm looked its original form, but hot wind drying and infrared drying silkworm looked shriveled and crumpled. The color of silkworm powder freeze-dried changed from yellowish green to hazel with lowering freezing temperature. Heavy metals including Pb, Cd, As, and Hg were lower the food criteria. The results of 1-deoxynojirimycin analysis was shown that BaekOkJam and GoldenSilk silkworm powder was satisfied the criteria of functional food, but YeonNokJam silkworm powder was lower than the criteria. The amino acid composition of silkworm was similar regardless of the frozen temperature in freeze drying process.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2017

Various health promoting effects of steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm powder (SMSP) have been reported. However, it is not still clear which substances in SMSP are responsible for those health promoting effects yet. In this study, we examined and compared the quantities of phytochemicals in SMSP and freeze-dried mulberry leave powder (FMLP). To investigate the optimal solvent for extracting phytochemicals from SMSP and FMLP, we used four different solvents. Among them, 80% ethanol extracts from SMSP and FMLP contained the highest amount of five flavonoids examined. In addition, FMLP had high contents of flavonoids compared with those of SMSP. The amounts of rutin, isoquercetin, astragalin, quercetin, and kaempferol in FMLP were $5.078{\pm}0.187mg/g$, $5.162{\pm}0.083mg/g$, $2.989{\pm}0.061mg/g$, $3.317{\pm}0.236mg/g$, and $2.243{\pm}0.237mg/g$, respectively, while the amounts of rutin, isoquercetin, astragalin, quercetin, and kaempferol in SMSP were $0.171{\pm}0.024mg/g$, $0.252{\pm}0.032mg/g$, $0.374{\pm}0.031mg/g$, $0.645{\pm}0.063mg/g$, and $0.0512{\pm}0.047mg/g$, respectively. Taken together, SMSP could be a source for providing various and readily absorbable flavonoids.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.364-367
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• 1983

This experiment was designed to investigate the optimum conditions for the extraction of protein from the silkworm larvae by using the oven-dried and freeze-dried samples. The extractability was examined on the basis of kinds of extractants, ratio of sample to extractants, extraction time, temperature, and the effect of pH. The following results were obtained: (1) About 56% of proteins were extracted when 0.05M NaOH was used and the highest extractability was obtained at the ratio of 1 : 40 (sample: extractant). (2) The amount of nitrogen extracted was gradually increased when the extraction temperature was increased from $10^{\circ}C$ to $50^{\circ}C$ in both oven-dried and freeze-dried silkworm larvae. The highest amount of nitrogen was extracted at $50^{\circ}C$ in freeze-dried sample and at $60^{\circ}C$ in oven-dried sample. In addition, sixty min. of extraction time showed the highest extractability of nitrogen, however, not much difference in extractability was found after 10 min of extraction time. (3) More than 60% of nitrogens were extracted at pH 13.0, but less than 20% were extracted from pH 1.0 to 11.0. There was only slight difference in extractability of nitrogen between freeze-dried and oven-dried samples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.133-158
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• 1997

Since 1992, Sericulture & Entomology Research Institute(NSERI) and Kyung Hee University group screened an activity of lowering blood-glucose levels with silkworm related materials such as silkworm larvae powder, dried feces, pupae and silkworm moth in other to guide laymans to rational and educated utilization of silkworm-related materials for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In experiments examining several silkworms in different stages and prepared in different conditions, a freeze dried silkworm powder of 5th instar 3rd day showed a higher glucose lowering activity about 20% than heat dried matured silkworm powder. Among the three dosage of 500mg, 830mg and 1,160mg in ate preliminary clinical trial, the 830mg exhibited a significant effect on postprandial blood glucose level and did and did not cause any hypoglycemic side effect. In the blood glucose lowering activity of mulberry and silkworm varieties, the Yongcheonppong and Samkwangjam showed the highest activity for lowering blood glucose levels. In experiments to see the difference in blood-glucose lowering activity between either male and female or larvae and pupae, activity of larvae was higher than that of pupae and the male was higher than female. The heating dry and artificial diet showed lower than mulberry diet and normal freeze dry of the 5th instar 3rd day. Among the sericultural products, larvae showed the highest activity. We find out the fact that effect of silkworm powder attributed to the inhibition of ${\alpha}$-glucohydrolase catalyzed reaction in the small intestine.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.6-14
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• 2016

The mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori has been one of the most important domestic animals which have provided with silk fibers for weaving fabrics and a food for a protein and lipid source. In addition, various health improvement effects of diverse silkworm larval powders were reported. Recently we found that steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP) generated using white-jade (also known as Backokjam) silkworm variety extended healthspan and increased resistance to Parkinson's disease in animal models. Because the colors of cocoons in silkworm varieties were caused by altered signal transduction pathways transporting phytochemicals from intestinal lumens to silk glands, we performed the proximate, amino acid, mineral, carbohydrates, fatty acid, and cholesterol composition analyses of SMSPs of 3 silkworm varieties which were weaving light yellow, golden, and red cocoons. Although most of nutrient compositions among 3 SMSPs were similar, there were significant differences in certain amino acids, minerals, and fatty acid compositions. Red silk silkworm (RS)-SMSP had higher contents of crude proteins and total amino acids than other SMSPs. In addition, the ratio of n-3/n-6 unsaturated fatty acids were higher than the other SMSPs. In contrast Golden silk silkworm (GS)-SMSP had higher ratio of potassium/sodium than the other SMSPs. These nutrient analysis results suggested that 3 SMSPs might have common and unique health improvement effects. Thus, further studies in the functionalities of the 3 SMSPs will reveal unknown their health improvements effects.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.228-235
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• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate the estrogen activity of silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupa extracts and their fractions. Powdered samples of freeze-dried silkworm pupa were extracted at room temperature (RT), $40^{\circ}C$, $60^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$, and $100^{\circ}C$ in water (D.W), chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol for 6h and then filtered (0.45 um). The extracts were then freeze-dried. The estrogenic activity of these extracts was then investigated by competition binding assays using estrogen receptor ${\alpha}\;(ER{\alpha})$ and $ER{\beta}$, and by evaluating their effects on the proliferation of the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Among the extracts evaluated, water extracts prepared at RT showed the highest binding affinity to $ER{\alpha}$ ($IC_{50}$, 1.76 ug/ml) and $ER{\beta}$ ($IC_{50}$, 0.07 ug/ml). In addition, MCF-7 cells that were treated with 62.5 ug/ml of the RT extract showed the greatest increase in proliferation (2-fold; 1291.79%) when compared to control cells (659.82%). Next, the water extract that was prepared at RT (sample 1) was dissolved in D.W. and further fractionated using a Dowex 50W - 8X ($H^+$) column. The flow-through and wash were then pooled together and freeze-dried (sample 2). The bound materials were then eluted with 20 mM NaCl, after which they were applied to a Dowex 1X2 - 200 ($Cl^-$) column and washed with D.W. to remove the sodium ions. The eluants were then freeze-dried (sample 3). Of these fractions, sample 2 showed the highest binding affinity to ER{\alpha} ($IC_{50}$, 1.44 ug/ml) and $ER{\beta}$ ($IC_{50}$, 1.18 ug/ml). In addition, MCF-7 cells that were treated with sample 2 (15.6 ug/ml) showed the largest increase in growth (1159.39%) when compared to control cells (525.26%). Taken together, these results suggest that the fraction of the RT water extract of silkworm pupa referred to as sample 2 may be useful as a phytoestrogen.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm powder (SMSP) is a natural food containing a large amount of various functional materials and has various health promoting effects. SMSP is known to increase the life expectancy and healthspan, simultaneously. The accomplishment of extension of healthspan should be possible to achieve by activating various signaling pathways delaying aging in various tissues, not by regulating only a few signaling pathways. Consistent with this notion, SMSP increased the resistant to Parkinson disease by enhancing olfaction and mitochondrial activity in neurons of animal models. In addition, SMSP could enhance the gastrointestinal functions. The animals consumed SMSP showed enhanced alcohol metabolisms, reduced cholesterols in bloods, increased resistance to carcinogens causing liver cancers, and protective effects in alcohol induced stomach ulcers. Furthermore, SMSP was also effective in appearance. The SMSP consumed animals showed reduced skin pigmentations and more hair growth compared with control animals. Taken together, the functional enhancement effects of SMSPs in various tissues and organs, which have been discovered to date, are combined to extend healthspan. Therefore, SMSP can be regarded as calorie restriction mimetics. Further studies in the health promoting effects of SMSP will contribute to identifying new applicable diseases, resulted in increased sales of SMSP and incomes of sericulture farmers.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.154-165
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• 2022

Humans have been breeding the mulberry silkworm for the long period of time to obtain silk fabric and nutrient-rich pupae. Currently, silkworm larvae, pupae, and silk-Fibroin hydrolysates are registered as food raw materials, while silkworm feces and Bombyx batryticatus are registered as Korean traditional medicines. Among sericulture products, individually recognized health functional food ingredients include silk-protein acid-hydrolysates for immunity enhancement, Fibroin-hydrolysates for memory improvement, and freeze-dried 5^th instar and 3^rd-day-silkworm powder for lowering-blood sugar. Recently, HongJam produced by steaming and freeze-drying mature silkworms were reported to have various health-promoting effects such as preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, enhancing gastro-intestinal functions, improving skin-whitening and hair growth, and extending healthspan. By consuming silkworm products with various health-promoting effects, it is possible to increase the healthspan of human beings, thereby reducing personal and national medical expenses, resulting in increasing the individual's happiness.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.17-22
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• 2017

Cooked mature silkworms have received increasing attention as a new source of income for sericultural farms. Quality improvement of these worms as the end-product requires prevention of the following: inclusion of unfertilized silkworm eggs, mixing with impurities, producing undercooked or overcooked mature larvae, and mixing spewed silk substance. Preventing unfertilized eggs and impurities and reducing undercooked or overcooked mature larvae can be achieved by sericultural farms. However, the prevention of spewed silk substance requires the development of new techniques. This study developed new techniques for optimum cold storage temperature, soaking, and hydro-thermal treatment to minimize the spewing of mature larvae prior to steaming: when larvae mature after 7 days on the $5^{th}$ instar, they should be soaked in water at room temperature of $25^{\circ}C$ immediately upon collection and stored at $8^{\circ}C$ for less than 3 days. They should be soaked in boiling water for approximately 10 s immediately before steaming to kill the larvae and cooked with steam. This method allows for the production of high-quality mature larvae without spewed silk substance. These new techniques will considerably improve the production of well-cooked quality mature larvae by minimizing silk substance spewed out from the larvae.