Cytolytic processes in posterior silk gland cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during metamorphosis from larva to pupa have been studied. During this stage, the wet weight and the amounts of RNA and protein of the gland decrease rapidly and markedly, while the amount of DNA decreases slowly and slightly. The ultrastructural changes observed at the beginning of the prepupal stage consist of the...

The effects of substituting fishmeal (FM) with different quantities of silkworm pupae (SP) on the growth, survival, and body composition of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), were investigated over the course of a 60-day experiment. A total of 360 fingerlings (55±3.42 g) were randomly allotted to four treatment groups (T1 – fish fed 52.5% FM; T2 – fish fed 5% SP + 47.5% FM; T3 – fish...

For mass production of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), silkworm baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) was adopted in this study. hEGF gene was in-frame fused with polyhedrin (Ph) gene under the control of Ph promoter and was used to co-transfect BmN cell with the modified Bombyx mori baculovirus DNA to obtained recombinant virus. The ELISA showed a maximum expression on day 4 in lar...

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have high immune system-stimulating activity and are considered beneficial for human health as probiotics in the gut. The innate immune system is highly conserved between mammals and insects. Microbe-associated molecular patterns (e.g., peptidoglycan and β-glucan) induce cytokine maturation, which, in silkworm larvae, leads to muscle contraction. The purpose of this s...

Silkworm powder containing 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) has α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and is promising as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) agent in Japan. Silkworm powder produced in Korea was extracted with 75% ethanol. The extract was derivatized with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC-Cl), and DNJ-FMOC content was measured by HPLC. Then, alfa-glucosidase inhibition by si...

Successful insect development is achieved via appropriate fluctuation of ecdysteroid levels. When an insect's ecdysteroid level is disrupted, physiological and developmental defects occur. In the pupa of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, the rectal sac is an essential organ that operates as a repository for degraded ecdysteroids, and it can be distended by administration of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). O...

There are many factors that influcence the success of production of silk. In recent years some antimicrobial agents have been used in for controlling of silkworm diseases and to improve the production of silk. Antibiotics play a vital role in improvement of disease resistance and growth enhancement in the animals and insects. Antibiotics administration shows promising results in harvesting supe...

Cytolytic processes in posterior silk gland cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during metamorphosis from larva to pupa have been studied. During this stage, the wet weight and the amounts of RNA and protein of the gland decrease rapidly and markedly, while the amount of DNA decreases slowly and slightly. The ultrastructural changes observed at the beginning of the prepupal stage consist of the...

Silk cocoons are composed of fiber proteins (fibroins) and adhesive glue proteins (sericins), which provide a physical barrier to protect the inside pupa. Moreover, other proteins were identified in the cocoon silk, many of which are immune related proteins. In this study, we extracted proteins from the silkworm cocoon by Tris-HCl buffer (pH7.5), and found that they had a strong inhibitory acti...

Cytolytic processes in posterior silk gland cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, during metamorphosis from larva to pupa have been studied. During this stage, the wet weight and the amounts of RNA and protein of the gland decrease rapidly and markedly, while the amount of DNA decreases slowly and slightly. The ultrastructural changes observed at the beginning of the prepupal stage consist of the...