Possibilities and Conditions of Developing Mulberry Silkworm Rearing in Poland, Especially for Purposes Related to the Production of Natural Cosmetics Based on Silk Proteins Obtained from Silkworm Cocoons

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sericulture is associated primarily with the production of cocoons for textile purposes. However, the widespread availability of synthetic fibers caused a decline in interest in natural fabrics, including silk. Changing trends on the textile market made it necessary to find the new possibilities of using mulberry silkworm cocoons. Due to the, fact that the silk fiber is made mainly of two proteins – sericin and fibroin they began to be used in the cosmetics industry. Smoothing, moisturizing, nourishing and anti-wrinkle properties have made cosmetics based on silk proteins very popular. Research conducted among consumers shows that when choosing cosmetics, they are more and more often guided not only by the price, but also by the composition and origin of the ingredients. The fully organic rearing of the mulberry silkworm provides raw materials with valuable properties. The possibilities of using cocoons in cosmetics constitute an alternative to the use of cocoons in the textile industry. We examined the prospect of revitalizing the Polish silk industry in the view of testing whether silkworm farming in Poland may become a common and profitable activity.