Comparative study of nutritional and economical parameters of silkworm (Bombyx mori) treated with silver nanoparticles and Spirulina

Abstract

Background: Sericulture depends on rearing of silkworm on mulberry leaves. For this reason, Silk production has direct relationship with larval growth. One of the alternative ways of improvement of larval growth and cocoon production is enrichment of mulberry leaves with supplementary nutrients. The present study has been aiming to find out the feed efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Spirulina-treated MR 2 mulberry leaves with regard to food utilization by larvae and ultimate impact on the economic parameters of silkworm (Bombyx mori). Result: Fresh mulberry leaves were treated with chemically mediated AgNPs and Spirulina; it was diluted by different concentrations such as 100 ppm AgNPs (T 2), 300 ppm AgNPs (T 3), 500 ppm AgNPs (T 4), AgNPs with Spirulina (T 5), and Spirulina alone (T 6). Group T 1 served as the control. The result indicates significant differences among the six groups. The economic traits and the nutrient efficacy were significantly increased in AgNPs and Spirulina-treated groups when compared to those in the control. Conclusion: Silkworms are the only source for producing silk. Commercial AgNPs and Spirulina administration has significantly induce food consumption, utilization, and superior cocoon characters by maintaining a balance in the gut flora. Thus, it is inferred that silkworm larvae fed with commercial AgNPs and Spirulina beneficially influence the energy and economic parameters of B. mori, which can be exploited in commercial cocoon production.

Toward Spinning Greener Advanced Silk Fibers by Feeding Silkworms with Nanomaterials

“…Larval growth has a direct influence on silk production, and thus, different studies have been performed on the influence of feeding Ag NPs on silkworm’s growth. Studies have reported that Ag NPs sprayed on mulberry leaves and fed to silkworms can increase larval growth and the amount of produced silk. − However, Pandiarajan and Balaji , reported that feeding Ag NPs at a concentration of 10 mg/L resulted in moderate mortality and at 100 mg/L in high mortality. Some et al reported that Ag NPs at concentrations of 10 mg/L fed to silkworms presented no toxic effect, promoting silkworm survival and increasing larvae and cocoon weight while negative effects were observed at the 100 mg/L concentration.…”

Genetically Fusing Order‐Promoting and Thermoresponsive Building Blocks to Design Hybrid Biomaterials

“…Natural silk is a protein fiber that is produced by various insects and arachnids, such as silkworms and spiders. Natural silk has remarkable properties, such as high strength, elasticity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, that make it suitable for various biomedical applications [139,140] . Silk fibroin constitutes approximately 70 % of the composition of natural silk from silkworm cocoons, and its structure includes a light chain and a heavy chain linked through a disulfide bond [141] .…”

Effects of Spirulina platensis mediated TIO2NPS on biochemical analysis (Bombyx mori. L)

“…The blue-green algae S. platensis contain various minerals, 18 amino acids and vitamins. In sericulture, S. platensis mediated NPs act as an activation of tissue metabolism and seems to be an essential factor for promotion of biological parameters of silk gland of silkworm larvae (Thangapandiya and Dharanipriya, 2019).…”