• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.92-96
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• 2015

It is known that silk protein supports effectively proliferation of cell such as insect cell and hybridoma cell. Although there are many varieties of Bombyx mori silkworm, the effect of silkworm varieties on cell proliferation has not been considered in detail. We studied that characteristics of silk cocoon obtained from Baegokjam, Kumokjam, Daeseongjam silkworm varieties and whether silk protein affected cell proliferation or not. Silk sericin was prepared under high temperature and high pressure condition. Silk fibroin was prepared using $CaCl_2:H_2O:EtOH$ with different dissolution time. As a result, there are differences in silk cocoon from different silkworm varieties about cell proliferation. The proliferation was accelerated in the presence of Baegokjam silk sericin and Kumokjam silk fibroin with 5hr dissolution time. We expect that silk proteins could be a preferable culture medium supplement for stimulating the proliferation of cell. Then, this results suggest silk as a new material for medium supplement replacing with fetal bovine serum.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.249-253
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• 2009

Raily ecorace of Indian tasar silkworm is wild in nature and distributed abundantly in dense deciduous forest on Shorea robusta (Sal) in Bastar ($17^{\circ}4'$ and $20^{\circ}34'$ N, $80^{\circ}15'$ and $82^{\circ}15'$ E and altitude ranging from 150 to 1200 mMSL) forest ranges of Chhattisgarh, India. It is represented by about 20 populations. Out of those, eleven populations showed intra- as well as inter- population variability based on phenotypic expression and also in major economic traits viz. cocoon weight, shell weight, filament length and denier. Genetic diversity in these eleven populations was studied using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. The band profiles generated with eight ISSR primers have depicted variation in band size. All the primers exhibited polymorphism which is an indicative of the genetic variation in individual Raily silkworm. Among the populations, total polymorphism recorded was 76%. The population genetic aspects assessed through POPGENE software package are discussed in the paper. Nei's gene diversity (h) ranged from 0.194 to 0.337 exhibiting high heterozygosity. Relevance of the present study is of high significance in formulating conservation strategies and sustainable utilization of the economically important Raily ecorace of Antheraea mylitta.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.9
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• pp.27-34
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• 1969

This study was conducted investigate the effect of Gibberellin and Urea on the growth of mulberry tree with the compound treatment, and the characteristic of silkworm when the mulberry leaves simply treated with GB and the compound treatment with GB and Urea were supplied. The results are as follows. 1. Mulberry tree A. The leaf weight per mulberry tree with the compound treatment of GB+ Urea was heavier in spring silkworm and the leaf yield was increased by 7% compared with the non-treatment plot. B. The growth of wattle, leaf length and leaf width was more accelerated in the compound treatment plot of GB+Urea, the single treatment plot of GB and Urea than th!: non-treatment plot in autumn silkworm, and there was observed an incredse yielding effect of 16% in GB+Urea plot, in 16% GB plot and 18% in Urea plot respectively as compared with th: non-treatment plot, hut yield per l000m unit of wattle length was the least in GB plot. C. In the composition of mulberry leaves of treatment, water and crude protein was increased in the compound treatment plot of GB + Urea and the single treatment plot of GB and Urea than the non-treatment plot, but dry matter and carbohydrate were decredsed. 2. Characteristics of Larva in spring silkworm A. The mortality ratio of 4 and 5 instar plot was equally high in the compound treatment plot of GB+ Urea and the pupation ratio of 4 instar plot was lower than other treatment plot. B. Although there was no significant difference observed in the cocoon weight of 10.000 1st-day worms in both 4 and 5 instar plots between each treatment plot, the single treatment plot of GB showed somewhat great than other treatment plots. C. There was no significant difference observed in the cocoon layer ratio between each treatment plot, but 4 instar plots was slightly higher than 5 instar plots. 3. Characteristics of Larva in Autumn silkworm A. The mortality ratio of the compound treatment plot of GB+ Urea and GB was higher than that of the nontreatment and single treatment plot of Urea. B. The pupation ratio of the single treatment plot of Urea was higher than that of the compound treatment plot of GB + Urea, and there was no significant difference observed between other treatment plot. C. The cocoon weight of 10.000 1st-day th instar worms was heavier in the single treatment plot of Urea than nontreatment plot, GB+Urea plot and GB plot. D. The cocoon layer ratio was no significant difference observed between each-treatment.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Quality of seed in the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.) is determined by many important factors, wherein unfertilized eggs play an important role. Unfertilization of eggs are caused by several reasons such as, abnormality in the sexual organs of the male and female, abnormal development of the micropylar end of the egg, unfavorable environmental conditions during spinning, cocoon preservation, imperfect handling of moths, mating, ovipostion, cold storing of pupae / moths and indiscriminate use of male moths etc. Though the presence of unfertilized eggs would in no way affect the fertilized ones and their quality directly, the frequency of their occurrence underrates the quality and brings down the hatching percentage. Lower the occurrence of unfertilized eggs, higher is the rating of seed quality. Of the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors and events involved in egg deposition of an adult silk moth, mating is an instinct and a biological obligation for the ultimate perpetuation of the species and a must to provide stimulus for oogenesis and bring about biochemical changes in the spermatophore of the silkworm in order to ensure the presence of sufficient number of normal sperms and testicular fluid in the female reproductive organ, activating ovulation and accelerating oviposition behavior and egg deposition. An attempt has been made in this article to briefly elucidate the characteristics of unfertilized eggs, causes of their occurrence and its impact as well as the significance in silkworm seed production.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 2019

Silkworm larval mortality specifically during spinning stage leading to non-spinning with specific morphological symptoms was frequently complained by sericulturists in Karnataka, India during 2015. Survey was conducted and information collected through questionnaire from the identified farmers who faced the problem of non-spinning in both traditional and non-traditional areas of Karnataka. Survey results indicate that the problem is specific to the silkworm crop of those farmers' who shifted from other crops of agriculture/ horticulture/olericulture/ floriculture to Sericulture. Silkworm rearing performance of the batches fed with these leaves confirmed that the pesticide sprayed to the crops previous to mulberry, remain in the soil and when mulberry plantation is taken up in these gardens, the pesticide is absorbed by the roots of mulberry plants and transported to the leaves. Silkworms that feed on these mulberry leaves, grow and ripen normally but during spinning stage, larvae die with external symptoms like regurgitation, body shrinkage, rectal protrusion later become hook shaped leading to non-spinning or partial metamorphosis into pupa and death or spin flimsy cocoons. Larval mortality ranged from a minimum of twenty five percent to a maximum of hundred percent. The problem was noticed from the first harvest of leaves and lasted for a maximum period of 36 months. Cocoon crop loss depends on the concentration, duration and type of pesticides used previously for other crops.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 2022

The silkworm is a food material that can simultaneously ingest phytochemicals from mulberry leaves, proteins with essential amino acids, and fatty acids. They are known to have hypoglycemic properties; however, further functional investigation is needed. In this study, four varieties of 3^rd day of fifth instar silkworm with different cocoon colors, namely Baegokjam (BG), Goldensilk (GS), Yeonnokjam (YN), and Juhwangjam (JH), were compared in terms of antioxidant properties and cholesterol-lowering effect. JH, which had the highest polyphenol content (+38% vs. GS, p<0.05) showed high antioxidant efficacy. Treatment with JH also resulted in the lowest cholesterol biosynthesis enzyme activity (28% vs. control, p<0.05). In the animal study, high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice that were orally administered JH extract for 12 weeks showed lower body weight gain (-10.4% vs. HFD, p<0.05) and serum total cholesterol levels (-12.7% vs. HFD, p<0.05). Comparing the varieties, JH had the highest effect. In future studies, analysis of the active ingredients according to their variety should be done.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2002

Cocoon production, which is a representative of traditional sericulture shifted into silkworm powder production in the spring of 1995. This, infect, signifies the change from the dress-centered textile business to the bio-industry and the functional resource industry. One of the most outstanding shifting is utilization of silkworm larvae for anti-diabetic agent. In Asian countries including Korea, silkworm powder derived from the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) has long been favored for anti-diabetic agent, but its efficacy was not tested until last decade by modern scientific methods. In this article, we reviewed the major researches on the silkworm powder as a blood glucose-lowering substance. After the beginning test of the efficacy of silkworm powder by a cooperative research between Department of Sericulture and Entomlogy, NIAST, RDA and Kyung Hee University, substantial data have been accumulated so far, In a serial experiment to select best condition, the fifth instar larvae prepared by freeze dry method turned out to have the best blood glucose-lowering effect. In the pharmacological experiment to understand the mechanism of silkworm powder in small intestine, the silkworm powder turned out to inhibit the activity of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, by competitively binding to $\alpha$-type disaccharides. The animal experiment showed that the extract of silkworm powder prevents a rapid increase of blood glucose level after meal and prevents hunger and law blood glucose level during empty stomach. In the experiment to isolate the major component of silkworm powder, which exerts blood glucose-lowering effect, 1-deoxynojirimy-cin (DNJ) was eventually mass-purified, and it turned out that DNJ isolated from silkworm powder was excellent in its blood glucose-lowering effect. In the experiment to understand the personal difference of the efficacy of the silkworm powder, clinical candidates were divided on the basis of the criterion of traditional Chinese medicine: Tae-Yang, Tae-Um, So-yang, and So-Um. The result showed that silkworm powder has a tendency to reduce blood glucose level at fasting and at 2 hours after meal, and this trend was somewhat obvious in the Tae-Um body type. In summary, we reviewed scientific papers on the efficacy of silkworm powder and its purified DNJ as a blood glucose-lowering agent. These suggest that silkworm powder truly possesses blood glucose-lowering effect as documented in the traditional Chinese medicine, although further researches will be required to develop them as "medical" resource instead of functional food.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2012

Tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury experiences extreme temperature stress conditions during its life cycle particularly during diapauses and first crop. The present study witnessed the impact of high temperature on some biochemical profiles and egg production (fecundity) of semi-domesticated Daba and Shorea robusta (Sal) based wild ecorace Laria during seed cocoon (pupa) preservation. Cocoons of Daba and Laria were treated with high temperature at $40^{\circ}C$ for 10 days in a BOD incubator. The protein profile and carbohydrate content in the hemolymph and fat body and total haemocyte count (THC) in the hemolymph of pupa were investigated. Further, the fecundity and fertility of egg was assessed. Significant increase in the protein concentration was observed in the hemolymph with reduction in the fat body (p<0.05). The difference in protein concentration was highly significant between the semidomesticated Daba and wild ecorace Laria (p<0.05). High pupal mortality (20%) and reduced fecundity (10-15%) in Daba was noticed compared to wild Laria. Also an increased THC (>28000) was recorded in Laria. The study infers the potentials of wild ecoraces in sustaining the extreme temperature conditions and need of adopting suitable package of practices for the preservation of diapause seed cocoons during extreme summer conditions. There is possibility to introgression thermal stress resistant traits in the semi-domesticated races of tasar silkworm by resorting to conventional breeding plans with wild races and keeping the thermal stress induced response as markers.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 1976

The study was carried out to investigate the variations in the fibroin hydrolysis of leading silkworm varieties in Korea, and the relationship between the fibroin hydrolysis of the silkworm varieties with some characteristics and silk morphological property. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) The fibroin hydrolyzing ratio of both parent silkworm cocoons was reduced in the F$_1$hybrids. 2) A positive corelation (r=＋0.86) was approved between the mid-parent value and the F$_1$hybrid in the fibroin hydrolysis. 3) It was disclosed that the fibroin hydrolyzing ratio of Jam 103${\times}$Jam 104 was the lowest among the leading silkworm F$_1$hybrids. 4) The fibroin hydrolysis was affected by the silk morphological property, showing a positive corelation between the size of cocoon filament and the fibroin hydrolyzing ratio. 5) It was thought that the determination of the fibroin hydrolyzing ratio was useful as a marker for the selection of its related economical characters in silkworm breeding, because the fibroin hydrolysis of parents silkworm cocoons was heritable in their F$_1$hybrids.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.8
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• pp.41-50
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• 1968

In order to achieve efficiency of laying eggs of silkworms, it is very important to eliminate noncocooning silkworms. This study is written on the basis of observation and analysis of mechanism of silkworms physiologically and anatomically. It is hoped that given herein will contribute to the effecting elimination work. Outline of the study summarize as follows: 1. It is observed through microscope that the silkworms which are seen normal state in the silk gland but no ability of cocoon making have polyhedrosis in the nerve, trachea and muscle near the tissue of the spinneret. 2. Relatively high proportion of non-cocooning silkworms are caused by the grasserie of the silkworms. 3. As a result of inoculation with purulent discharges against silkworms from first fooding through 8th day of 5th instar, number of cocooning silkworms were increased when inoculation are applied at laterer day of the instar. In the case of non-cocooning silkworms, meanwhile, resulted not big varriation when it is apllied in the early and middle of the period, but number of non-cocooning silkworm was reduced when the inoculation are given at laterer of the instar. Number of death during rearing and mounting are increased when earliest application of inoculation are carried out. 4. Symptom of grasserie was appeared more or less three days after application of the inoculation. Some silkworms which were inoculated just before mounting has ability of cocooning making even taken grasserie, in this case the silkworm can make thin cocoon. since the silkworm fall sick during cocoon making and unable of spinning soon. when the worm was affected by grasserie slightly, it was observed that the silkworm can spinning. It is supposed to be the light paralysis of spinneret is not very much influenced to spinning. 5. As a result of observation of original stock and hybrid including other 44 kinds of silkworm, many non-cocooning silkworms were found in the original stock especially originated from japanese than in hybrid. 6. A number of undulations are found in the middle division of the silk gland of non-cocooning silkworms. 7. According to the observation of the sizes of the body and digestive organs, normal natured silkworms and non-cocooning silkworms are more or less same in length, but the width, circumference of bodies and digestive organs were more larger in the later. If silkworm which was in the period of active eating of 5th instar was given shock of dropping to the floor, the silkworm receives little more shock when hit to side of the body than to head, and concrete floor than ondol and wooden floor.