A comparison of nutritional components and memory enhancement effects of HongJam prepared from different silkworm varieties that weave yellow-colored cocoons

Abstract

Hongjam (HJ) is a natural health food made from mature silkworms, and various health-promoting effects of HJ have been reported. Recent studies have reported that the health-promoting effects of HJ vary depending on the color of the cocoon of the silkworm variety used for its production. Recently, we reported that Golden Silk (GS), a variety of silkworm with yellow cocoons, exhibit superior memory improvement effects when HJ derived from these silkworms is compared to other varieties. However, breeding lines used to produce silkworm varieties are maintained through inbreeding, which can lead to serious side effects in the case of the GS variety. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the nutritional components and health-promoting effects of Daehwangjam (DHJ), a recently established yellow cocoon silkworm variety.A comparative study was conducted on the nutritional components and memory-enhancing effects of GS and DHJ-HJ. We found no significant differences in nutrient composition between GS- and DHJ-HJ as determined through proximate analysis, amino acid composition analysis, fatty acid content analysis and other methods. Additionally, in a rodent model of mild cognitive impairment, DHJ-HJ proved to be equally effective as GS-HJ. Since DHJ produces larger mature silkworms than GS, it will be possible to efficiently produce HJ for the purpose of creating memory enhancement health food.