Effects of Feeding Alanine-enriched Mulberry Leaves on the Economic Characters of the Silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae)

Abstract

The effects of feeding alanine-enriched mulberry leaves on the larval weight, silk gland weight and cocoon characters of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. were studied. Fourth and fifth instar silkworms were fed once a day on mulberry leaves enriched with the amino acid alanine. Alanine was dissolved in distilled water and four concentrations of 10, 100, 500, and 1000 ppm were prepared. These solutions were then sprayed onto the fresh mulberry leaves, fed to the silkworms, and any changes in economic traits were recorded. In general, silkworms fed with alanine-enriched mulberry leaves did not show any improvement across the economic traits measured. Although the highest larval weight and effective rate of rearing percentage was observed in the silkworms treated with 1000 ppm alanine, there was no corresponding increase in the other traits. The untreated control fared better than the silkworms fed with alanine enriched leaves, indicating that alanine enrichment had no positive impact on the larval and economic traits of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L.