• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2017

Increased alcohol consumption is a burden on the world because it is associated with various health problems. However, the effects of silkworms on alcohol metabolism have not been studied yet. The hard-to-eat mature silkworms have become easier to ingest recently due to the development of technology, steam-lyophilising mature silkworm larvae. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of SMSPs from three silkworm varieties, Baekokjam, Golden-silk and Yeonnokjam weaving white, golden, and light green cocoons on alcohol metabolism in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with three SMSPs (0.1 g/kg or 1 g/kg body weight) or normal diet (AIN-76A) for 2 weeks were subjected to intragastric administration of absolute ethanol (3 g/kg body weight, 3 h). Three SMSPs did not affect the final body weight and liver weight. All 3 SMSPs were effective to reduce the enzymes in alcohol metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), and liver damage and enzymes involved in liver damage, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Among SMSP from 3 varieties of silkworm, preadministration of 1 g/kg Baekokjam SMSP showed the most effective suppressive effect on the activities of ADH, ALDH, AST and ALT. The Baekokjam SMSP contained higher amounts of beneficial amino acids than Golden-silk or Yeonnokjam SMSP. These results suggest that Baekokjam SMSP might be used as a new and promising candidate for improving alcohol metabolism and liver injury through promoting rapid alcohol metabolism.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.33-39
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• 2019

Freeze-dried silkworm powder has been approved as a functional ingredients for blood glucose control since 2009. Proximate and nutrient compositions of silkworm powder was summerized as bellow. Silkworm powder contained 4.7% moisture, 57.7% crude protein, 9.5% crude fat, 5.4% crude fiber, and 9.3% ash. The larval protein contained 18 known amino acid including glutamic acid and aspartic acid. Fat is composed of 3:7 ratio of saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid including various essential fatty acids. It contained 34.7 linolenic acid, 24.4% oleic acid, 20.2% palmitic acid, 9.2% stearic acid, and 7.7% linoleic acid. Five minerals, K, P, Ca, Mg, S were abundant in the silkworm powder with other minerals such as Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.56-61
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• 2015

Rutin is an important bioflavonoid that is consumed in the daily diet. This study compared the functional components of rutin from various silkworm species using a gene database with those of rutin produced by silkworms selectively bred through cross-combinations. We made comparisons between the geographical origin and species of silkworm using a gene database and discovered that rutin activity was ranked in the following order by species, Chinese (C5)> miscellaneous varieties (Jamsaeng 1 Ho) >Japanese (Jam 115) > European (E58) >Korean (Sun 3 ho). However, rutin levels with respect to various genetic traits (blood color, silk color, and egg color) were consistent. In order to study rutin changes that occurred during the cross breeding of the silkworm gene, we bred cross-combinations utilizing Jam 115 and the 4051 silkworms. In conclusion, in order to provide information about the constituents of functional materials contained in silkworm powder, it is imperative that silkworm cross breeding occurs so that the database of functional materials extracted from silkworms will expand.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the effect of silkworm, and its by-products on exercise endurance, muscle mass, and fatigue recovery using ICR mice model. Powders of silkworm, pupae, dongchunghacho, and silk powder were suspended in water and feed to mice for 2 weeks. The forced swimming time was increased by 4.3, 4.1 and 2.8 seconds after silkworm, pupae, and dongchughacho administration compared to DW fed group. Increases in exercise ability were achieved by difference mechanism according to feeding materials. Pupae increased muscle mass by 129% compared with the control group which may effect on elongation of swimming time. Dongchunghacho improved the plasma concentrations of fatigue markers such as creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and D-lactate. Silkworm administration showed dual effect, the muscle mass induction (114% vs. control) and anti-fatigue (plasma creatinine, BUN, and D-lactate were 63, 75, and 78% vs. con) effect which contributed most elongated swimming time. In conclusion, silkworm and its by-products including pupae and dongchunghacho with the predominant protein and bioactive components improved muscle mass and showed anti-fatigue effect which could promote exercise performance ability.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.262-265
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• 2017

Bombyx mori (silkworm pupae) is a unique and biologically significant insect, which is a recognized source of high quality protein that provides all the essential amino acids required for human health. Recently, many studies have focused on various biomedical applications of B. mori proteins. The purpose of this study was to manufacture protein-fortified kefir containing different concentrations of B. mori powder according to pH and sensory evaluations. The value of the protein-fortified kefir increased but the pH decreased with increasing incubation time, indicating that the amount of B. mori powder did not affect and pH. Addition of B. mori powder also did not affect the sensory properties of overall acceptability, texture, and color compared to control group without addition of B. mori powder. However, flavor and taste were affected by increasing the amounts of B. mori powder, with a significant difference in both flavor and taste between the control and treated groups (both p<0.05). There was no significant difference in overall acceptability, texture, and color. Further studies are needed for producing kefir as a dietary supplement utilizing the functional properties of B. mori.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.789-795
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• 2013

Current study was to investigate the potential effects of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. fermented with Bacillus subtilis (BFSP) and Aspergillus kawachii (AFSP) at the 5% (w/w) levels in Sprague-Dawley rats, which was intoxicated with 1% (w/w) orotic acid (OA) for 10 days. The rat group administered silkworm powder showed improvements in fatty liver condition. Consumption of fermented silkworm powder reduced triglyceride concentrations in the liver tissues and serum and increased the serum lipid concentrations to normal levels, thereby aiding in improving fatty liver conditions. These effects were more pronounced in the BFSP than that in SP or AFSP in orotic acid-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress. Based on these results, fermented silkworms are considered to be a material with significant potential for development into a functional health food that can improve fatty liver conditions.

• 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.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.564-569
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effect of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) powder on lipofuscin, acetylcholine (ACh) and its related enzyme activities in brain of rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats ($160{\pm}10g$) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets (SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups) added 200 and 400 mg/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. In case of liver membranes, lipofuscin (LF) levels resulted in a slight decreases (4.6% and 11.5%, respectively) in SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. But in case of barin as the most sensitive organ, LF levels were remarkably inhibited about 16.7% and 20.0% in SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. There were no significant differences in acetylcholine (ACh) syntheses as a very important neurotransmitter, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities as a synthesis enzyme of ACh, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities as a hydrolysis enzyme, which were concerned in transmission of neuron through synapses in brain of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activities were significantly inhibited (about 10.2%) in brain of SWP-400 groups compared with control group. These results suggest that inhibiting effects of LF accumulation and MAO-B activity of silkworm powder (SWP) may play a pivotal role in attenuating a various age-related changes for improvement of brain function.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effects of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) powder (SWP) on oxygen radicals and their scavenger enzymes in liver membranes of rats. Sprague-Dawley(SD) male rats(160$\pm$10g) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets(SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups) added 200 and 400 mg/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. Hydroxyl radical (.OH) levels resulted in a consistent decreases (4.0% and 7.2%, 5.0% and 14.1%, respectively) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-200 SWP-400 groups compared with control group, and O2 radical level was significantly decreased about 12% in liver cytosol of SWP-400 group compared with control group. Lipid peroxide(LPO) levels were significantly decreased (14.4% and 9.1%, respectively) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-400 group only compared with control group. Oxidized protein (OP) levels were remarkably decreased about 12.7% and 16.3% in liver microsomes only of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups, but significant difference between liver mitochondria could not obtained. Mn-SOD activities were remarkably increased (15.8% and 25.2%, respectively) in mitochondria of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups, but significant difference between Cu, Zn-SOD activities in these group could be not obtained. GSHPx activity was significantly increased in liver cytosol of SWP-400 group compared with control group. These results suggest that silkworm powder may play an effective role in a attenuating a oxidative stress and increasing a scavenger enzyme activity in liver membranes.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2011

The average life expectancy has continuously increased with the development of medical industry. As women get older, they experience the deficit of estrogen caused by decreased function of ovarian. Specifically, they suffer from temporary fever because of unstable vasomotion and, in the long term experience, degeneration of urogenital organs, tooth loss, arteriosclerosis, demantia, snores and so on. Because of these symptoms the estrogen medical supply is getting required. Along with this, many studies have conducted to find out substitutional medicals without any side effects. This research was carried out to find out such substitutable materials. For the purpose of study, we examined the change of estrogen using the rats fed with the pupa powder immediately before the eclosion, eclosed adult, the pupa extract immediately before the eclosion, and the silkworm powder prepared at $3^{rd}$ day of $5^{th}$ instar. The result showed no significant chance in weight, feeding and water intake quantity among variables. However, the estrogen hormone secretion effects was very high at 73 pg/ml in the rats fed with the freeze-dried powder of the Yeonnokjam male pupa prepared immediately before the eclosion, compared with the control at 59 pg/ml. The next was Yangwonjam male adult at 71 pg/ml.