• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.412-417
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• 2009

In order to investigate the effective sericin fixation of raw silk fibers the influence of various additives added to the melamine and formalin mixtures on sericin fixation was studied. When raw silk fibers were treated with wetting agent but without subsequent washing before sericin fixation, the strong sericin fixation was obtained by fixing sericin. Adding hydrogen peroxide to the melamine and formalin mixture made sericin fixation worse, resulting weaken the sericin hardness of fixed raw silk fibers and tight bonding of the fibers. On the other hand, it was confirmed that adding sodium hydrosulfite to the melamine and formalin mixtures gave better sericin hardness of fixed raw silk fibers without the bonding of fibers. Supplying additional melamine with he low concentration of sodium hydroxide to the melamine and formalin mixture(melamine:formalin= 1:6) resulted in very good sericin fixation. But adding hydrochloric acid or methanol to the same mixture had no effect on the sericin fixation, and adding magnesium chloride to it made the hardness of sericin fixation even worse.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.105-112
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• 2023

Oxidative stress in skin cells can induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are critical for pathogenic processes such as immunosuppression, inflammation, and skin aging. In this study, we confirmed improvements from gamma-irradiated silk sericin (I-sericin) and gamma-irradiated silk fibroin (I-fibroin) to skin cells damaged by oxidative stress. We found that I-sericin and I-fibroin effectively attenuated oxidative stress-induced ROS generation and decreased oxidative stress-induced inflammatory factors COX-2, iNOS, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β compared to the use of non-irradiated sericin or fibroin. I-sericin and Ifibroin effects were balanced by competition with skin regenerative protein factors reacting to oxidative stress. Taken together, our results indicated that, compared to non-irradiated sericin or fibroin, I-sericin, and I-fibroin had anti-oxidation and antiinflammation activity and protective effects against skin cell damage from oxidative stress. Therefore, gamma-irradiation may be useful in the development of cosmetics to maintain skin health.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2022

There are several subspecies of Bombyx mori, whose silk sericin variants differ. Silk sericin can induce bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) in macrophages, and silk sericin from different species may have different levels of BMP-2 induction ability. In this study, silk sericin from three B. mori subspecies (Baegokjam, Yeonnokjam, and Goldensilk) was prepared. They were administered to RAW264.7 cells and BMP-2 expression level was studied. Bone regeneration was evaluated using a rat calvarial defect model. BMP-2 expression level was the highest in the Baegokjam group. The bone volume in the Baegokjam group was significantly higher than that in the Yeonnokjam group (P = 0.003). In conclusion, sericin from Baegokjam showed higher levels of BMP-2 expression and bone regeneration than those from Yeonnokjam and Goldensilk.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.236-241
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• 2008

The antioxidant potential of silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta cocoon has been assessed and compared with that of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. Skin fibroblast cell line (AH927) challenged with hydrogen peroxide served as the positive control for the experiment. Our results showed that the sericin obtained from tasar cocoons offers protection against oxidative stress and cell viability is restored to that of control on pre-incubation with the sericin. Fibroblasts pre-incubated with non-mulberry sericin had significantly lower levels of catalase; lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde activity when compared to untreated ones. This report indicates that the silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm, A. mylitta can serve as a valuable antioxidant.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2005

In this study, we attempted to evaluate a novel use of sericin-fixed silk fiber (SFx) as an immobilization support of enzyme. Sericin was fixed on the silk fiber using glutaraldehyde as a fixation reagent. After 6 hours of fixation, the degree of fixation increases linearly with linear decrease of the amount of bound $\alpha$-chymotrypsin (CT). This suggests that the increase of the degree of fixation is due to the further crosslinking of free aldehyde groups on the surface of sericin-fixed silk fiber (SFx). Even though perfect fixation was not achieved, sericin did not dissolve seriously and could be removed by further washing. The specific activity did not differ significantly after 6 hours of fixation. The activity of immobilized CT on SFx decreased to its half after 6 hours of incubation at 50$^{\circ}C$. However, it retained $78\%$ of initial activity even after 1 hour of treat­ment with $100\%$ ethanol. As a result, the SFx could be used as an immobilization support of enzyme in non-aqueous media at ambient temperature.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.11-19
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• 1979

This has been carried out how the sericin insoluble fixations of raw silk should be with potassium alum. This is learned from the leather tanning technique which the process works with collagen, a kind of proteins. Former reports had shown such works, however, they did not consider the moisture absorbability after their process reports by using chromium alum, formalin or vinyl acetate grafting. This report, however, paid attention to protect such absorbability as well as sericin fixation, so far it may be useful for plactical use of silk. In order to clear how the sericin is fixed with such chemicals, fundermental mechanism of weding process and chemical reaction against proteins were also discussed. The obtained results of the report are as followings. 1. Alum should not be treated for raw silk with high temperature bath like other reports because such treat induces raw silk to be stiffly after the treat. 2. It is recommended that raw silk should be treated with alum solution at room temperature for more than three hours. Even in this case, the use of only alum with raw silk could to fix sericin some how, but it increased the water proofness of the silk. 3. 1% of alum solution was found to be able to fix the sericin of raw silk. 4. In case we consider only sericin fixations, a combination treat of 1% alum for three hours and 0.5% NaOH for ten minutes method showed the best result. 5. In case we consider sericin insoluble fixation and moisture absorbility, the reversive combination of the above process was found to be the best results. 6. Sericin fixing evidence was shown with drying feature curves of wed each treated silk where we could to analyze how the chemical nature is changed after each treat. 7. Deguming ratio may be obtained up to 4.3% after the alum combination treat with regular raw silk. Such ratio was considered to be good enough for the purpose when the textile is washed with warm soap water. 8. Moisture absorbability of the combination treat of alum and NaOH was found to be good enough as well as non treated silk. 9. The tenacity and elongation of the treated silk did not change even after three month. 10. Above all, this method is considered to be better process than other coloured fixing (tannin method. Cr-alum method) or smell fixing (formalin method. vinyl acetate method).

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2023

In this study, the structural characteristics of sericin recovered from wastewater released from the silk textile industry (Plant sericin) were comparatively analyzed with those of sericin extracted from a silkworm cocoon produced in a laboratory (Lab sericin). To prepare Plant sericin, ethanol was added to wastewater (i.e., a sericin aqueous solution) after the degumming process to remove nonprotein materials, affording a sericin precipitate. To prepare Lab sericin, nonprotein materials were removed from a silkworm cocoon and sericin was subsequently extracted from the cocoon. Lab sericin and Plant sericin exhibited similar solution viscosities, gel strengths, and crystallinity indices, indicative of the similar molecular weights (MWs) of the two sericin samples. In the case of sericin powder, Plant sericin was more crystalline than Lab sericin due to its treatment with ethanol. The findings of this study revealed that sericin recovered from industrial wastewater can be used equally as its MW is similar to that of sericin obtained through laboratory-scale extraction.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Silk sericin, a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is emerging as a multifunctional biomaterial in biomedicine, particularly in tissue engineering and wound healing. Recent studies have highlighted its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and potential for chemical modification, which allows it to be incorporated into various scaffold architectures. This review article synthesizes current research, including the development of sericin-based hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering and sericin's role in enhancing wound healing. Key findings demonstrate sericin's ability to refine scaffold porosity and mechanical strength, expedite tissue healing, and reduce bacterial load in wounds. The integration of sericin into novel bioactive dressings and its use in peripheral nerve injury repair are also discussed, showcasing its adaptability and efficacy. The convergence of these studies illustrates the broad applications of sericin, from scaffold design to clinical interventions, making it a promising material in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, with the potential to improve patient outcomes significantly.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2016

Recently, silk sericin has been studied extensively for biomedical and cosmetic applications because of its unique properties, including UV resistance and wound healing ability. For use in applications, sericin is fabricated in various forms including films and gels. However, the mechanical properties of sericin are too weak. In this basic study on improving the mechanical properties of sericin, a silk sericin aqueous solution was separated into two layers by centrifugation. The solution viscosity, molecular conformation, and mechanical properties of each separation layer of the sericin were examined. Sericin from the lower layer had a higher solution viscosity and film mechanical properties (strength and strain) than that from the upper layer, implying that sericin from the lower layer had a higher molecular weight than that from the upper layer. The molecular conformation of the sericin films varied depending on the casting solvent. In aqueous solution, the sericin film from the lower layer showed a ${\beta}$-sheet conformation, whereas that from the upper layer displayed a random coil conformation. All the sericin films showed a highly ${\beta}$-sheet-crystallized state when cast in formic acid, regardless of the separation layer.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2013

In this study, silk sericin films were prepared using different extraction methods, and the molecular conformation of sericin was examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection geometry. Additionally, the effect of the film side (air-facing side or plate-facing side) on the molecular conformation of the sericin films was investigated. Interestingly, the molecular conformation of the sericin film depended on the film side. The molecular conformation of air-facing side of the sericin film was significantly influenced by extraction solution and time. The ${\beta}$-sheet crystallization and the crystallinity index of the sericin film markedly increased with an increase in the extraction time in hot water. The order of the crystallinity indices for the sericin films obtained with different extraction solutions was as follows: citric acid solution > urea solution >> hot water. In contrast, no remarkable differences were observed in the molecular conformation of the plate-facing side of the sericin film after extraction in hot water for different time periods. Urea and citric acid solution extractions showed remarkably higher crystallinity indices for sericin than those obtained after hot water extraction. However, no significant differences were observed in the crystallinity index of sericin between urea and citric acid solution extraction in plate-facing side of the film.