• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 1998

Mulberry leaves(Mori folium) and silkworm(Bombyx mori) are potnet inhibiters of intestinal $\alpha$-glycosidase, and inhibit the digestion of starch and sucrose in the small intestine. They are able to prevent postprandial hyperglycemia and decrease blood insulin levels. In this study , a high-carbohydrate diet(CHO ; 67.5%, protein ; 20.8%, fat : 11.7%) was received by the control group. In contrast, the experimental groups received a high-carbohydrate diet with extracts of mulberry leaves and silkwork(50mg.100g diet), and acarbose(6.7mg/100g diet). after a 10 week study period , the experimental groups had lower blood glucose and triglyceride levels. The experimental groups tended to have lwer Hb Alc levels. Also, blood insulin levels were lower than the control groups in accordance with blood glucose levels. The activities of intestinal $\alpha$-glucosidase in the middle and distal parts of small intestine were induced by the extracts of mulberry leaves and silkworm in the experimental groups. However, the activities of liver lysosomal glucosidase and the contents of glycogen in the liver were not affected by the mulberry leave and silkworm extracts nor by acarbose. Mulberry leaves and silkworm were able to prevent sudden postprandial peaks in blood glucose as a result of $\alpha$-glycosidase, inhibition, there by decreasing unnecessary insulin secretion.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.717-724
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• 2005

The nontoxic B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB) can significantly increase the ability of proteins to induce immunological tolerance after oral administration, when it was conjugated to various proteins. Recombinant CTB offers great potential for treatment of autoimmune disease. Here we firstly investigated the feasibility of silkworm baculovirus expression vector system for the cost-effective production of CTB under the control of a strong polyhedrin promoter. Higher expression was achieved via introducing the partial non-coding and coding sequences (ATAAAT and ATGCCGAAT) of polyhedrin to the 5' end of the native CTB gene, with the maximal accumulation being approximately 54.4 mg/L of hemolymph. The silkworm bioreactor produced this protein vaccine as the glycoslated pentameric form, which retained the GM1-ganglioside binding affinity and the native antigenicity of CTB. Further studies revealed that mixing with silkworm-derived CTB increases the tolerogenic potential of insulin. In the nonconjugated form, an insulin : CTB ratio of 100 : 1 was optimal for the prominent reduction in pancreatic islet inflammation. The data presented here demonstrate that the silkworm bioreactor is an ideal production and delivery system for an oral protein vaccine designed to develop immunological tolerance against autoimmune diabetes and CTB functions as an effective mucosal adjuvant for oral tolerance induction.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.143-145
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• 2005

Lamerin breed of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. for Northeastern India hosts a vertically transmitted microsporidian parasite for generations, which does not harm significantly the cocoon production. The transversally infected progenies do not exhibit marked external sign or symptom. The microspordian causes inapparent infection and over $(80\%)$ of the infected progeny survives and spin cocoons. There is possibility of co-existence between the breed and the associated micosporidian parasite. To evaluate the impact of the microsporidian on breed the present study was conducted in respect of tranovarial transmitted (observed as T1), secondarily infected (observed as T2) and healthy silkworm (observed as T3). The larval and pupal mortality was $12\%$ and $6\%$ in T1 and $10\%$ and $3\%$ in T2 batch, while in case of T3 batch there was no mortality. Significant changes were also observed in single cocoon weight, single shell weight, denier, reelibility, raw silk recovery $\%$ and neetness. There is no significant impact of the infection on the fecundity and hatchability. The hatchability of the eggs laid by healthy or infected moths are equall as much as control but the progeny had the infection transmitted from the parent.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2003

Oviposition and egg laying is an important physiological and behavioural event in the life cycle of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (L). Oviposition and egg laying is dependent on a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors viz., neural, hormonal, environmental, physical, behavioral etc for the perpetuation of population. Although, the virgin female moths have fully developed embryos but active egg laying begins under the influence of mating which provides essential copulation stimulus for oviposition. After mating drastic biochemical changes occurred that incites egg laying under the influence of optimum environmental conditions. Weight of pupae as well as larval density has significant role on oviposition and egg laying behaviour in the silkworm wherein high pupal weight and inadequate rearing space affects not only the biology, morphology and physiology but also the oviposition and egg laying. Surface topography, plane of inclination, mating length, age of male moth, temperature and photoperiod etc has significant effect on reproductive physiology of silkworm. An attempt has been made in this review article to elucidate briefly the works carried out on mating behaviour, direct and indirect copulation stimulus, vitellogenesis, influence of environmental factors besides effect of weight of pupae and or pharate adult and larval density on oviposition and egg laying behavior in the silkworm, B. mori and its significance in silkworm seed production.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-32
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• 2018

Silkworm powder's thermal property is an important factor for its storage and marketing. This study examined the effect of edible enzyme on the thermal property of silkworm powder using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Results of the TGA showed that regardless of the enzyme treatment, the weight loss patterns of silkworm powders exhibited 3 step thermal property deterioration at approximately $80^{\circ}C$, $280^{\circ}C$, and $480^{\circ}C$ due to water evaporation and thermal degradation. This is similar with the DSC which also resulted in all samples two endothermic peaks attributed also to water evaporation and thermal degradation. These results indicated that the use of enzyme such as protease and cellulase might not affect significantly the thermal properties of silkworm powder.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

Sericulture is a traditional agro-industry, which involves mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing, has made great contributes to the human civilization. With the development of national economy and modem technology, mulberry and silkworm are being used to develop products with functionality besides the traditional cocoon production in China. In this paper, we brief the current developing situation of sericultural byproducts with functionality in the following aspects. (1) Functional products from silkworm larvae: silkworm powder, white muscardine silkworm, isolation and purification of anti-bacterial proteins from the larvae and production of medically valuable substances by Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) vector. (2) Utilization of silkworm feces: for pillow and for isolation of chlorophyll etc. (3) Production of valuable Chinese traditional medicine like Cordyceps sinensis with pupae, functional utilization of pupa protein and chitin. (4) Silk as additives to cosmetics, silk food and medical materials. (5) Functional utilization of mulberry: cultivation of edible fungus on mulberry shoots as medium, mulberry fruit drinks, mulberry tea, etc. The prospect of sericultural byproduct industry in China is also discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2008

The influence of temperature and relative humidity in infection and cross-infection of Nosema bombycis and N. mylitta respectively in mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. on larval mortality, multiplication of pathogens, larval weight and growth rate in three different seasons were studied. Seasons were selected in such condition, when very less fluctuations between minimum and maximum temperature and minimum and maximum relative humidity ($25{\sim}28^{\circ}C$ and $65{\sim}72%$ R.H) was observed i.e., season-1. Fluctuations between minimum and maximum temperature were less ($28.05{\sim}34.50^{\circ}C$) but R.H % was more ($55{\sim}81%$) in season-2. Fluctuations between minimum and maximum temperature and R.H % were more ($20.00{\sim}40.5^{\circ}C$ and $64.00{\sim}90.00%$) in season-3. Growth rate of microsporidian-infected silkworm is directly related to the prevailing temperature and relative humidity in silkworm. Silkworm can tolerate slight variation of temperature but slight variation of relative humidity disfavours the development of silkworm and favours the multiplication of pathogens.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.2
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• pp.33-39
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• 1962

The results for the investigation of the various aromatic plants applied diets on silkworm raising from spring to autumn crops are found as followings. 1. There was no difference between the chemical menthol solution (1.0%) enriched diet and the normal diet for silkworm physiology. Neither injury nor advantage was obtained from the investigation. 2. It was found that there was no danger to use the mulberry leaves as silkworm diet by planting Mentha arvensis L. in the vacansy of mulberry farm, and no worse effect was found by rubbing the leaves of Mentha arvensis L. to the surface of mulberry leaves before feeding to silkworm. 3. For the investigation due to Perilla Ocymoides var application in stead of menthol plant ascribed in Paragraph (2) was obtained the same result. 4. As a conclusion of the study, the plantation of the both aromatical plants with mulberry trees is harmless for silkworm growing even though farmers worry about these to plant together with mulberry tree on mulberry farm.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.129-132
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• 2001

Biometabolic assessment was made in early and late embryonic stage (just before hatching) of one poly, one bi and their hybrids (DP, YPe, DP ${\times} Ype, and YPe ${\times} DP respectively ) of Bombyx mori to observe the racial differences. Protein and nucleic acid (RNA and DNA) concentrations were recorded to be significantly higher in bivoltine breed (YPe) and also in the hybrid than the polyvoltine (DP) strain in both the stages of embryonic development. The single egg weight of polyvoltine race was lower as compared to that of bivoltine and the hybrid studied. Age specific changes in all the biomolecules were evident where protein and RNA concentrations were elevated sharply in prehatched larvae while in case of DNA it was observed to be just reverse. The differences in protein, RNA and DNA composition between breeds and hybrids reflect the racial variations in biometabolic demands responsible for differential growth and development of the breeds and hybrids.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.51-55
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• 2020

A new silkworm variety, Juhwangjam, was bred for the producing of light pink colored cocoon. The Juhwangjam variety was selected and succeeded from the F1 of 2303 × BP Heehong in 2016 autumn. Hatchability (96%) and pupation percentage (97.6%) of Juhwangjam was matched to the authorization criteria for commercial silkworm variety. Laval period and other economical characters of Juhwangjam were similar to the authorized silkworm variety, Goldensilk. Cocoon yield of Juhwangjam in spring and autumn season was 20.0 and 14.3 kg, respectively. Therefore, a new silkworm variety, Juhwangjam for light pink cocoon, might be adaptable to culture in spring season rather than autumn season.