• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2012

Osteoporosis is characterized by the reduced density of mineralized bone matrix. The loss of bone has been attributed to an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. The silkmoth is one of the famous traditional tonic medicines. Silkworm pupa was evaluated for its antiosteoporotic activity in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. The rats were ovariectomized at 6weeks of age and divided into 7 groups. All the groups were fed without calcium diet. The OVX rats were treated with water and silkworm powder for 6 weeks. In OVX rats, the body weight, feeding and water intake quantity did not show a significant change, but the silkworm pupa powder immediately before the eclosion of Yeonrokjam was significantly increased the bone mineral density in the femoral bone. The silkworm pupa powder increased the bone with increasing calcium in serum. These results also showed its protective action through promotion of bone formation. The silkworm pupa powder has a definite antiosteoporotic effect; similar to estrogen, it is especially effective for the prevention of bone fracture induced by estrogen deficiency. The silkworm pupa powder is a promising anti-osteoporotic agent that can prevent bone fractures in osteoporotic patients. The silkworm pupa powder does not show serious side effects because natural herbal medicine origin.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.11-36
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• 1982

Forty-nine plant species as additives to silkworm artificial diet and 5 species as cellulose sources for artificial diet were screened for their economic values as feed-resources for the silkworm. Feeding response to artificial diet was tested on 82 silkworm strains. The effect of rearing conditions on feeding response and enzyme activities in the silkworm was investigated. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Seven species out of 49, Vigna sinensis ENDL, Ipomoea vatatas Lamarck, Cyperus anuricus Var. Laxus, Alnus japonica Stendel, Trifolium repens L, Prunus serrulata Lindley. Var, Glycine max L increased feeding response, compared with the basic formula of artificial diet. 2. The economic values of Vigna sinensis ENDL, Ipomoea vatatas Lamarck, Cyperus anuricus Var. Laxus, Ainus japonica Stendel, Cassia tera L, Erigeron canedensis L as feed-resources for artificiale diet were recognized, through feeding experiment during the entire larval stage. 3. Mulberry cellulose showed the best results in rearing and cocoon characteristics. 4. The extent of feeding response varied according to strains and varieties. Varieties in japanese strains showed higher feeding response than those in chinese and european varieties, with considerable variations among a varieties in strains. 5. The begining of 4th instar seems to be a proper time to convert from mulberry to artificial diet, or artificial diet to mulberry, however the middle of 3rd instar seems acceptable. 6. The optimum temperature for artificial diet rearing is 30$^{\circ}C$ during the period of 1st-3rd instar and 28$^{\circ}C$ for 4th-5th instar. 7. Electrophoretic isozyme patterns of esterase and acid phosphatase on agarose gel, as affected by strain. rearing temperature and feed-resources, were observed as follow. (1) Isozyme patterns of mid-gut esterase varied, depending on instar. One or two more isozyme bands were observed in the larvae than feed on the mulberry fed for the artificial diet. (2) A strain, chinese-15 with a higher feeding response, had 1∼2 more bands than chinese-60 with a lower feeding response. (3) Five bands of mid-gut esterase in 3rd and 4th instar larvae reared at 28$^{\circ}C$. and 4 for 3rd instar and 6∼7 for 4th instar larvae at 35$^{\circ}C$ were observed. (4) No similar esterase bands could be found among mid-gut, blood and silkgland. There are five esterase bands in the midgut, one in blood and three in silkgland. (5) There was rather small digerence in acid phosphatase types of mid-gut and blood according to varieties and rearing temperature. No active band was shown in silkgland. In midgut, there was one acid phosphatase band at 3rd instar, two at 4th instar and three at 5th instar. In blood, one active band at 3rd or 4th instar and three bands at 5th inster wire detected.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.9
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• pp.35-38
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• 1969

This study was carried ont to investigate the effect of feeding amount on the metric characters of silkworm at each day of 5 th instar. The results obtained from the study are summarized as follows: 1. The increased amount of feeding did not affect on the metric characters except the character, number of cocoon per litre, by each day of 5 th instar. 2. The decreased amount of feeding did affect the weight of cocoon, weight of cocoon layer and did not affect the pupation, best cocoon rate, cocoon layer rate and number of cocoon per litre by each day of 5 th instar. Namely, the weight of cocoon or weight of cocoon layer was decreased by 12 to 17 per cent in decreasing amount of feeding through 5 th instar. Weight of cocoon or cocoon layer decreased by 5 per cent in the decreasing amount of feeding at just 7 th day of 5 th instar.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2007

Ethanol extract of 20 botanicals in 3 concentrations i.e., 2.5%, 5% and 10% were evaluated for their efficacy to improve reproductive performance of mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mod L.) through feeding botanical enriched mulberry leaves during $2^{nd}$ day of $4^{th}$ age as well as $1^{st}$ and $3^{rd}$ day of $5^{th}$ age larvae. The preliminary screening was done by ranking the botanicals based on influence in most important reproductive contributing parameters such as single cocoon weight, effective rate of rearing, pupation rate, fecundity and recovery of eggs/kg cocoon. Five botanicals viz., Asparagus recemosus, Achyranthes aspera, Tribulus terrestris, Withania somnifera, Parthenium histerophorus ranked first were further evaluated at 8% 5% and 3% concentrations to confirm their effectiveness and standardize effective concentration. Among the rearing parameters, mature larval weight, shell ratio and number of cocoons/kg were not significantly influenced by the treatments. However, reproductive parameters such as effective rate of rearing (wt), pupation rate (%), fecundity (No.) and egg recovery (g)/kg cocoon were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the botanicals. Higher fecundity and egg recovery were obtained on treatment with Withania somnifera irrespective of concentrations. However at 5% concentration, pupation rate, fecundity as well as egg recovery were found significantly higher than that of other concentrations, confirming its effectiveness for improving reproductive efficiency.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.151-159
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• 2004

A detailed evaluation of relative toxicity of fluoride to die 5th instar larvae of PM and NB$_4$D$_2$ races of silkworm and the effects of lethal, sublethal and prevailing levels of fluoride in groundwater on the growth, economic characters and fecundity of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) were studied. The feeding of mulberry, Morus alba leaves treated with lethal and sublethal doses of fluoride to PM and NB$_4$D$_2$ races of silkworms from the beginning of the 5th instar to the end of the feeding period resulted in significant reduction in growth, single cocoon weight, single shell weight, silk index, average filament length, and fecundity when compared to controls. These manges were more pronounced on exposure to lethal dose than sublethal dose and in general, the changes induced by fluoride were more striking in NB$_4$D$_2$ than PM, indicating the greater resistance of PM to higher fluoride levels. Groundwater quality in sericulturally important villages of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh States has been studied with special reference to the presence of fluoride. On exposure to dose of prevailing levels in the waters of sericulturally important areas, die changes observed on growth, economic characters and fecundity were slightly lower when compared to controls and the decrease was found to be insignificant (P$\geq$0.05). It was concluded that, though minute dose (4.0 ppm) of fluoride did not have any toxic impact, it is toxic at higher concentrations to silkworms.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2003

The study evaluated the influence of feeding different maturity leaves i.e., tender, medium, coarse and mixed leaves of three different maturity during late larval stages of new bivoltine race $(CSR_{3} {\times} CSR_{6})$. The data were compared with shoot feeding and control batches in which conventional feeding method was followed. The most of the larval and cocoon characters were recorded significantly higher in tender leaves fed batches followed by T4 batch (2 times tender and 1 time coarse leaves). Lowest melting percentage (1.494%) was recorded in T4 and highest (4.69%) was recorded in coarse leaf (T3) fed batches. Significantly higher post cocoon parameters viz., average filament length, non-breakable filament length, renditta and raw silk percentage were recorded in tender loaves fed batches.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 2002

Two systemic fungicides, SF1 (Bavistin, a carbandazim fungicide 50% WP, Rallis India ltd., India) and SF2 (Bayleton 25% WP-Triadiamefon, a Triazole compound, Rallis India Ltd., India) were screened for control of muscardine disease in silkworm, Bombyx mori. One and two percent of SF1 and 0.05 and 0.1 % of SF2 in aqueous solution were found to be effective in in vivo condition for the control of the disease. These fungicides, on feeding through mulberry leaves continuously for two days to 4$^{th}$ and 5$^{th}$ instar silkworm larvae inoculated topically with conidia of Beauveria bassiana (4$\times$10$^{6}$ conidia/ml) resulted in reduction in mortality due to muscardine by over 90% as against 100% mortality in inoculated control. SF1 at 1% reduced the mortality by 90% in 4$^{th}$ instar and 91% in final instar silkworm while at 2%, the reduction was 92% and 96%, respectively. SF2 at 0.05 and 0.1 % concentration reduced the mortality by 82 and 88% during 4$^{th}$ instar and by 88 and 92% during 5$^{th}$ instar, respectively.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.32-38
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• 2014

Food consumption and conversion efficiency of eri silkworm Samia ricini Donovan were studied during $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ larval instars by feeding castor leaves fortified with 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm concentrations of aqueous extracts of cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis. The nutritional indices viz., ingesta, digesta, approximate digestibility (%), reference ratio and efficiency parameters like ECI and ECD were recorded which were significantly high at 400 ppm concentration treated batches of $4^{th}$ instar larvae over control batches. The decline in nutritional efficiency parameters of $5^{th}$ instar treated larvae might be due to higher utilization of the digested food for metabolic activities. Significant difference of ECI to cocoon % and non-significant difference of ECD to cocoon% and shell were observed between the treatments and control. Cyanabacteria feed supplement contains antibiotic and nutritions factors which has reflective effect on the biological parameters in eri silkworm and therefore has greater application in commercial eri silkworm rearing.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.107-110
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• 2001

Variations in protein and nucleic acid concentrations were observed in 24 hrs old eggs and hatched larvae of Nistari strain, Bombyx mori, exposed to starvation. Three starvation treatments of 24,48 and 60 hrs were given separately from 0 hr old fifth instar larvae. Biochemical variations were studied in the resultant hatched larvae of one time starved parent, while the eggs obtained from parents receiving starvation in two successive generations were considered for the study. In hatched larvae, protein levers in 24 hrs starvation groups remained significantly higher over control (never starved) while the same was found to be lower in 48 and 60 hrs starvation individuals. The RNA concentration remained significantly higher in all the treated lots. However, DNA content was not found to be significantly altered in hatched larvae after exposure to feeding stress. Protein, RNA and DNA concentration of 24 hrs old eggs produced by all the starved groups of Nistari, which had deceived two consecutive starvation during parental generations, showed higher concentrations of these biomolecules over control. Hence, starvation induced alterations in protein and nucleic acids in eggs and hatched Iarvae are indicative of a preparatory phase adopted by the insect to acclimatise itself and its progeny to stress situations.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-23
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• 2011

In order to produce the colored cocoons we finalized the adequate amount of dyes throughout several trial and error experiments. The proper amount of each dye required for per 100 g of each colored cocoon turned out to be 150 mg of Rhodamine, 1560 mg of Thionin, 170 mg of Neutral red, and 200 mg of N-Blue, respectively. With this amount of dyes silkworms grew without physiological disorders. In order to produce colored cocoons, artificial diet composed mainly of mulberry leaves was fed to silkworms from the beginning of 5th instar, and subsequently fed with dye included diet from $4^{th}$ day of the 5th instar. This process resultantly produced colored silkworm body from the onset of feeding and subsequently colored cocoons and eggs. Nevertheless, the dye induced color was not inherited to next generation.