Sericulture Industry Research Articles

A Study on the Status and Prospects of Tasar Sericulture Industry and its Impact on Tribal Lives in Jharkhand

Abstract: This paper reviews the status and prospects of the “Tasar Silk Industry” in the state of Jharkhand. Tasar Sericulture is practiced in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Bihar with Jharkhand being the leading producer with 80% of the tasar silk production employing around 1.5 lakh farmers in rearing, reeling and weaving activities, This is an agro-based, cottage industry practiced as “a way of life” by the various tribal inhabitants of this state like Santhals, Hos, Uraons, Kerwars and others. Tasar silk is not only known for its charm, texture and its natural golden color, but it also has a high ethical value. It is known as “Ahimsa Silk” as it does not kill the silkworm by boiling the cocoons while it is still inside it. The fibre is extracted only after the silkworm (Antherea Mylitta and Antherea Proyeli J) has left the cocoons. Tasar sericulture is being promoted widely through premier bodies like The Central Silk Board and its subsidiary i.e Central Tasar Research and Training Institute; Ranchi, which has undertaken research and development and training programs, since its establishment in 1964, thereby improving the silk production as well as empowering the lives of weak and marginalized tribes of Jharkhand. Growing demands from foreign countries, elucidate the promising future of the tasar silk industry in Jharkhand which in turn would uplift the living qualities of the rural people. Heavy investment in this industry now, would bring good returns in future, not just in terms of an improved economy, but also an improved society. This paper highlights the fact that apart from the huge potential to earn foreign exchange for the country, tasar culture has immense ethical values and truly carves for us a path towards sustainable development. Keywords: Tasar, sericulture, Jharkhand, tribal, Ahimsa Silk, Sustainable Development.

UDP-Glucosyltransferases Induced by Nosema bombycis Provide Resistance to Microsporidia in Silkworm (Bombyx mori).

Simple SummaryNosema bombycis (N. bombycis), an obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasite, is a virulent pathogen of the silkworm, that causes major economic losses. Although many studies have reported on B. mori host response to this pathogen, little is known about which genes are induced by N. bombycis. Our results showed that two B. mori uridine diphosphate-glucosyltransferases (UGTs) (BmUGT10295 and BmUGT8453) could be activated by N. bombycis and provide resistance to the microsporidia in silkworms. These results will contribute to our understanding of host stress reaction to pathogens and the two pathogen-induced resistant genes will provide a target for promoting pathogen resistance.As a silkworm pathogen, the microsporidian N. bombycis can be transovarially transmitted from parent to offspring and seriously impedes sericulture industry development. Previous studies found that Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are involved in regulating diverse cellular processes, such as detoxification, pigmentation, and odorant sensing. Our results showed that BmUGT10295 and BmUGT8453 genes were specifically induced in infected silkworms, but other BmUGTs were not. Tissue distribution analysis of the two BmUGTs showed that the transcriptions of the two BmUGTs were mainly activated in the midgut and Malpighian tubule of infected silkworms. Furthermore, there were significantly fewer microsporidia in over-expressed BmUGTs compared with the control, but there were significantly more microsporidia in RNA interference BmUGTs compared with the control. These findings indicate that the two BmUGTs were induced by N. bombycis and provided resistance to the microsporidia.

Metabolomics Response to Drought Stress in Morus alba L. Variety Yu-711.

Mulberry is an economically significant crop for the sericulture industry worldwide. Stresses such as drought exposure have a significant influence on plant survival. Because metabolome directly reflects plant physiological condition, performing a global metabolomic analysis is one technique to examine this influence. Using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique based on an untargeted metabolomic approach, the effect of drought stress on mulberry Yu-711 metabolic balance was examined. For this objective, Yu-711 leaves were subjected to two weeks of drought stress treatment and control without drought stress. Numerous differentially accumulated metabolic components in response to drought stress treatment were revealed by multivariate and univariate statistical analysis. Drought stress treatment (EG) revealed a more differentiated metabolite response than the control (CK). We found that the levels of total lipids, galactolipids, and phospholipids (PC, PA, PE) were significantly altered, producing 48% of the total differentially expressed metabolites. Fatty acyls components were the most abundant lipids expressed and decreased considerably by 73.6%. On the other hand, the prenol lipids class of lipids increased in drought leaves. Other classes of metabolites, including polyphenols (flavonoids and cinnamic acid), organic acid (amino acids), carbohydrates, benzenoids, and organoheterocyclic, had a dynamic trend in response to the drought stress. However, their levels under drought stress decreased significantly compared to the control. These findings give an overview for the understanding of global plant metabolic changes in defense mechanisms by revealing the mulberry plant metabolic profile through differentially accumulated compounds.

A Field-Friendly Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (FF-LAMP) method for rapid detection of Nosema bombycis in silkworm, Bombyx mori

Pebrine is a destructive disease that exhibits horizontal and vertical transmission and therefore it is the only mandatory quarantine item in sericulture. Here, a field-friendly loop-mediated isothermal amplification (FF-LAMP) method has been developed and validated for the rapid detection of Nosema bombycis, a causative agent of pebrine disease in silkworm, Bombyx mori. FF-LAMP primers were selected and designed for small ribosomal subunit gene and the assay was performed to detect the N. bombycis infection in silkworm. The FF-LAMP reaction was effective at 6 mM MgSO4, 1.4 mM dNTPs at 63 °C. The detection range of LAMP assay was found to be 101 dilutions of N. bombycis spores. Specificity of the primers was tested using DNA isolated from pebrine infected silkworm, pebrine free silkworm and pure N. bombycis by conventional PCR and FF-LAMP assay. Results revealed that the primers were specific to N. bombycis DNA. The FF-LAMP assay was validated in different basic silkworm seed farms with simultaneous microscopic examination of N. bombycis infection. This newly developed method is highly effective, specific, sensitive and rapid in detecting N. bombycis infection, eliminating the DNA purification steps and usage of sophisticated equipment. This method can be used in testing large number of samples making it field friendly method in sericulture industry.

Genomic Sequence Analysis of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus Isolated from Yunnan Sericulture Region, China.

The blood pathogens of grasserie caused by Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus BmNPV have a serious impact on the sericulture industry. To understand the genetic status of BmNPV endemic strains in the Yunnan sericulture region, the structure and complete genome sequence of BmNPV isolated from Baoshan city of Yunnan Province were described and compared to known strains. The BmNPV-Baoshan isolate was a nucleopolyhedrovirus parasitized in silkworm larvae. Its genome has 128, 452bp with a G + C content of 40.4%. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the virus with China BmNPV isolates; BmNPV-Baoshan was closely related to BomaNPV-S1 (both strains originated from the same ancestor). BmNPV-Baoshan strain has bro-b gene deletion, hr1 missing 4 repeat units of 30-bp palindrome structure compared to BmNPV-T3 strain. The aim of this study was to elucidate the evolution of the virus further and provide insights for the protection of virus-induced hematologic sepsis.

Mulberry twig and pueraria root residue improve the biological efficiency and potential functional value of Hericium erinaceus

Mulberry twig (MT) and pueraria root residue (PR) are byproducts of the sericulture and pueraria industries. In this study we assess the potential for MT and PR to be used as substrates for cultivating Hericium erinaceus. The results showed that the traditional mushroom substrate, sawdust (SD), can be completely replaced by MT and PR; the ratio of additions was 60% MT to 20% PR, and the biological efficiency was 110. 73 ± 5.10% which represents a 40.59% increase over the efficiency when SD was used. Additionally, the contents of 1-deoxynojirimycin and total flavonoid in mushrooms were highest with this MT and PR substrate. Further, in vitro antioxidant activity showed that both the water and ethanol extracts of the mushrooms harvested from this substrate exhibited a higher DPPH• and ABTS+• scavenging activity than that of SD (Ctrl group). In addition, the ethanol extract presented a higher inhibitory effect on both α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and the IC50 were 0.67 ± 0.08 mg/mL and 0.50 ± 0.01 mg/mL, respectively. These results revealed that H. erinaceus cultivated on MT and PR instead of SD have potential applications in the production of medicine and health food.

Patterns in Genotype Composition of Indian Isolates of the Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus and Bombyx mori Bidensovirus.

The mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.), is a model organism of lepidopteran insects with high economic importance. The viral diseases of the silkworm caused by Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) and Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV) inflict huge economic losses and significantly impact the sericulture industry of India and other countries. To understand the distribution of Indian isolates of the BmNPV and to investigate their genetic composition, an in-depth population structure analysis was conducted using comprehensive and newly developed genomic analysis methods. The seven new Indian BmNPV isolates from Anantapur, Dehradun, Ghumarwin, Jammu, Kashmir, Mysore and Salem grouped in the BmNPV clade, and are most closely related to Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and Rachiplusia ou multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus on the basis of gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the partial polh, lef-8 and lef-9 gene fragments. The whole genome sequencing of three Indian BmNPV isolates from Mysore (-My), Jammu (-Ja) and Dehradun (-De) was conducted, and intra-isolate genetic variability was analyzed on the basis of variable SNP positions and the frequencies of alternative nucleotides. The results revealed that the BmNPV-De and BmNPV-Ja isolates are highly similar in their genotypic composition, whereas the population structure of BmNPV-My appeared rather pure and homogenous, with almost no or few genetic variations. The BmNPV-De and BmNPV-Ja samples further contained a significant amount of BmBDV belonging to the Bidnaviridae family. We elucidated the genotype composition within Indian BmNPV and BmBDV isolates, and the results presented have broad implications for our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of BmNPV and co-occurring BmBDV isolates.

Studies on Nutrigenetic Traits of Silkworm, Bombyxmori L. for Determining Growth and Development for Identifying Parental Breeds for Breeding under Subtropical Region of North West India

Study was conducted during spring and autumn season (2018 & 2019) to screen and identify rich nutrigenetic breeds from the selected breed’s for their nutrigenetic traits in silkworm, BombyxmoriL.(Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is an essential prerequisite for better understanding and development of nutritionally efficient breeds under Subtropical condition of Jammu based on the breeds which shows less food consumption with higher efficiency conversion based on leaf to cocoon and leaf to shell ratio. Highly significant variations were found among all nutrigenetic traits of bivoltine silkworm breeds in the study. The nutritionally efficient silkworm breeds were shortlisted by utilizing nutrition consumption index and efficiency for conversion of ingesta/cocoon traits as the index for selection of highly promising breeds. Furthermore, based on the average of data from both the seasons, the overall rearing nutrigenetic traits utilized as index, eight bivoltine silkworm breeds (B.con 1, B.con 4, BHR 2, ATR 16, BHR 3, CSR 50, RSJ 14 and NB4D2) were identified as havingthe potential for nutrition efficiency conversion and can be utilized for further breeding programme. The data from the present study advances our knowledge for the development of nutritionally efficient silkworm breeds/hybrids and their effective commercial utilization in the sericulture industry.

Identification of Silkworm Hemocyte Subsets and Analysis of Their Response to Baculovirus Infection Based on Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

A wide range of hemocyte types exist in insects but a full definition of the different subclasses is not yet established. The current knowledge of the classification of silkworm hemocytes mainly comes from morphology rather than specific markers, so our understanding of the detailed classification, hemocyte lineage and functions of silkworm hemocytes is very incomplete. Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a representative member of the baculoviruses and a major pathogen that specifically infects silkworms (Bombyx mori) and causes serious losses in sericulture industry. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of hemocytes in BmNPV and mock-infected larvae to comprehensively identify silkworm hemocyte subsets and determined specific molecular and cellular characteristics in each hemocyte subset before and after viral infectmadion. A total of 20 cell clusters and their potential marker genes were identified in silkworm hemocytes. All of the hemocyte clusters were infected by BmNPV at 3 days after inoculation. Interestingly, BmNPV infection can cause great changes in the distribution of hemocyte types. The cells appearing in the infection group mainly belong to prohemocytes (PR), while plasmatocytes (PL) and granulocytes (GR) are very much reduced. Furthermore, we found that BmNPV infection suppresses the RNA interference (RNAi) and immune response in the major hemocyte types. In summary, our results revealed the diversity of silkworm hemocytes and provided a rich resource of gene expression profiles for a systems-level understanding of their functions in the uninfected condition and as a response to BmNPV.

ITRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of silkworm infected with Beauveria bassiana

Beauveria bassiana is a harmful pathogen to the economically important insect silkworm, always causes serious disease to the silkworm, which results in great losses to the sericulture industry. In order to explore the silkworm (Bombyx mori) response to B. bassiana infection, differential proteomes of the silkworm responsive to B. bassiana infection were identified with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) at the different stage of the 3rd instar silkworm larvae. Among the 5040 proteins identified with confidence level of ≥95 %, total 937 proteins were differentially expressed, of which 488 proteins were up-regulated and 449 proteins were down-regulated. 23, 15, 250, 649 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were reliably quantified by iTRAQ analysis in the B. bassiana infected larvae at 18, 24, 36, 48 h post infection (hpi) respectively. Based on GO annotations, 6, 4, 128, 316 DEPs were involved in biological processes, 12, 5, 143, 376 DEPs were involved in molecular functions, and 6, 3, 108, 256 DEPs were involved in cell components at 18, 24, 36, 48 hpi respectively. KEGG pathway analysis displayed that 18, 12, 210, 548 DEPs separately participated in 63, 35, 201, 264 signal transduction pathways at different time of infection, and moreover a higher proportion of DEPs involved in metabolic pathways. The cluster analysis on the DEPs of different infection stages distinguished a co-regulated DEP, lysozyme precursor, which was up-regulated at both the mRNA level and the protein level, indicating that the lysozyme protein kept playing an important role in defending the silkworm against B. bassiana infection. This was the first report using an iTRAQ approach to analyze proteomes of the whole silkworm against B. bassiana infection, which contributes to better understanding the defense mechanisms of silkworm to B. bassiana infection and provides important experimental data for the identification of key factors involved in the interaction between the pathogenic fungus and its host.

On-line identification of silkworm pupae gender by short-wavelength near infrared spectroscopy and pattern recognition technology

The gender identification of silkworm pupae is a critical step in the sericulture industry's breeding process. In this study, a low cost, short-wavelength (815-1075 nm) near infrared (NIR) spectrometer combined with multivariate spectra evaluation methods was used to establish calibration models for the on-line identification of female and male pupae of eight silkworm varieties. The diffuse reflection short-wavelength spectra were recorded, and then principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) were tested for calibration model development. The PCA and LDA results showed, that spectral differences between the female and male silkworm pupae existed, however, the two evaluation techniques could not separate the female and male silkworm pupae with the required accuracy. The PLSDA calibration models, on the other hand, could separate the pupae according to their gender with the necessary prediction accuracy of >98%. Thus, it has been proved, that a low-cost, short-wavelength range NIR spectrometer in combination with a PLSDA calibration routine can be successfully applied for the reliable on-line identification of female and male silkworm pupae.

Nutritional constituents of mulberry and their potential applications in food and pharmaceuticals: A review.

Mulberry is a fast growing deciduous plant found in wide variety of climatic, topographical and soil conditions, and is widely distributed from temperate to subtropical regions. Due to presence of valuable phytochemical constituents, mulberry as a whole plant has been utilized as a functional food since long time. Mulberry fruits are difficult to preserve as they have relatively high water content. Therefore for proper utilization, different value-added products like syrups, squashes, teas, pestil sand köme, pekmez (turkuish by-products), yogurts, jams, jellies, wines, vinegar, breads, biscuits, parathas, and many more are made. In overseas, these value-added products are commercially sold and easily available, though in India, this versatile medicinal plant is still missing its identity at commercial and industrial scale. Leaves of mulberry are economically viable due to their important role in the sericulture industry since ancient times. Mulberries or its extracts exhibit excellent anti-microbial, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effects and is used to combat different acute and chronic diseases. Different parts of Morus species like fruits, leaves, twigs, and bark exhibit strong anti-tyrosinase inhibition activity that makes it a suitable candidate in cosmetic industries as a whitening agent. The current review provides a comprehensive discussion concerning the phytochemical constituents, functionality and nutraceutical potential of mulberry and as a common ingredient in various cosmetic products.

Viral-Encoded microRNAs in Host-Pathogen Interactions in Silkworm.

The mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, apart from its well-known economic importance, has also emerged as an insect model to study host-pathogen interactions. The major concern for silkworm cultivation and the sericulture industry is the attack by various types of pathogens mainly including viruses, fungi, bacteria and protozoa. Successful infection requires specific arsenals to counter the host immune response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of the potential arsenals which are encoded by viruses and effectively used during host-pathogen interactions. MiRNAs are short noncoding 19-25 nucleotides long endogenous RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of protein-coding genes in a sequence-specific manner. Most of the higher eukaryotes encode miRNAs and utilize them in the regulation of important cellular pathways. In silkworm, promising functions of miRNAs have been characterized in development, metamorphosis, immunity, and host-pathogen interactions. The viral miRNA-mediated fine-tuning of the viral, as well as cellular genes, is beneficial for making a cellular environment favorable for the virus proliferation. Baculovirus and cypovirus, which infect silkworm have been shown to encode miRNAs and their functions are implicated in controlling the expression of both viral and host genes. In the present review, the author discusses the diverse functions of viral-encoded miRNAs in evasion of the host immune responses and reshaping of the silkworm cellular environment for replication. Besides, a basic overview of miRNA biogenesis and mechanism of action is also provided. Our increasing understanding of the role of viral miRNAs in silkworm-virus interactions would not only assist us to get insights into the intricate pathways but also provide tools to deal with dreaded pathogens.

IN VITRO RESPONSE BY Terminalia arjuna GENOTYPES DURING MICROPROPAGATION

Terminalia arjuna is an important tree of the medicinal and sericulture industry, commonly known as Arjun. It’s bark is rich in secondary metabolites makes this plant highly valuable in medicine industry to treat cardiovascular disease. Overexploitation due to high demand in medicine, low seed germination, limitations of the conventional method of propagation push this plant towards being endangered. To conserve germplasm of such tree species and meet the requirement in medicinal industry, some non-conventional propagation method like micropropagation has been developed. The present work highlighted the effect of three genotypes (G-1, G-2, and G-3) on tissue culture of T. arjuna situated at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. In vitro shoot proliferation was achieved on a modified MS medium enriched with BAP + additives. Among the tested genotypes, Genotype -1 showed maximum bud break response (100%) followed by G-3 (93.33 %) and G-2 (86.66%). Further multiplication of these shoots on modified MS medium containing BAP + NAA + additives gave 11.38±0.26 (G-1), 9.44±0.21 (G-2) and 10.22±0.32 (G-3) shoots. In vitro rooting was done by pulse treatment with IBA for 10 min prior to transfer on hormone free half strength MS medium containing 0.1% activated charcoal. Maximum in vitro rooting was obtained in G-1 (80%) followed by G-3 (71.11%) and G-2 (68.88%). In the present study, it was observed that optimum growth in all three genotypes required different doses of Plant Growth Regulator. Thus, by identifying and multiplying the best performing genotypes the gap between demand and supply of such medicinal plant can be fulfilled.

Sustainable management of Se-rich silkworm residuals by black soldier flies larvae to produce a high nutritional value and accumulate ω-3 PUFA

Waste disposal and utilisation of its important components are pioneering goals for achieving sustainable development and a clean environment. Silkworm pupae (SWP) are considered a by-product of the sericulture industry and may contain a high concentration of selenium (Se) in some regions, making them a potentially hazardous waste posing health risks. This study examined six treatments of Se-rich SWP (0–100%) as a substrate for black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. Growth performance and protein content of BSF larvae were not affected by increasing SWP content. The total fat, mono-, and poly-unsaturated fatty acids in BSF pre-pupae increased with increasing SWP inclusion in the substrate, from P0 (pre-pupae fed control treatment) through P100 (pre-pupae fed 100% SWP treatment), by 18.83, 61.14, and 62.42%, respectively. The results of significance were: (1) BSF pre-pupae did not accumulate Se, maintaining the same amount of Se in their bodies (~0.18 mg/kg); (2) omega-3 fatty acids represented by linolenic acid in BSF increased by 1,223.35% from P0 to P100, with 70.65% recovered from the SWP; (3) valine percentage increased in BSF compared with the percentage of SWP by 25.30%; and (4) BSF larvae were observed reducing SWP waste by more than one-third. BSF larvae can reduce the waste from sericulture industry and exploit the beneficial properties and components of SWP, converting them into safe and highly nutritious products.

The therapeutic potential and the health benefits of Morus indica Linn.: a mini review

Morus indica (L.) commonly known as Indian mulberry belonging to the family Moraceae is a fast growing perennial plant and is the primary food plant for the monophagous insect Bombyx mori has a special significance in the sericulture industry. Medicinal properties of this plant have been depicted in the ancient literature of Ayurveda. Some of the ayurvedic preparations use fruits, leaves, roots, bark or latex of the mulberry plant as potential treatment aid against various diseases. Because of the presence of several bioactive compounds like steroids, phenolics, alkaloids, reducing sugars, tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates etc., it is traditional being used as natural medicine for- anti-bacterial, anti-fugal, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hypoglycaemic, anti-hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-pyretic, high antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The present review reveals the wide range of important uses of Indian mulberry including its phytochemical composition, antioxidants and medicinal properties and management towards human diseases.

Integrative analysis of circRNA/miRNA/mRNA regulatory network reveals the potential immune function of circRNAs in the Bombyx mori fat body

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) is one of the greatest threats to sustainable development of the sericulture industry. Circular RNA (circRNA), a type of non-coding RNA, has been shown to play important roles in gene expression regulation, immune response, and diseases. The fat body is a tissue with both metabolic and immune functions. To explore the potential immune function of circRNAs, we analyzed differentially expressed (DE)circRNAs, microRNAs(miRNAs), and mRNAs in the B. mori fat body in response to BmNPV infection using high-throughput RNA sequencing. A total of 77 DEcircRNAs, 32 DEmiRNAs, and 730 DEmRNAs that are associated with BmNPV infection were identified. We constructed a DEcircRNA/DEmiRNA/DEmRNA and DEcircRNA/DEmiRNA/BmNPV gene regulatory network and validated the differential expression of circ_0001432 and its corresponding miRNA (miR-2774c and miR-3406-5p) and mRNA (778467 and 101745232) in the network. Tissue-specific expression of circ_0001432 and its expression at different time points were also examined. KEGG pathway analysis of DEmRNAs, target genes of DEmiRNAs, and host genes of DEcircRNAs in the network showed that these genes were enriched in several metabolic pathways and signaling pathways, which could play important roles in insect immune responses. Our results suggest that circRNA could be involved in immune responses of the B. mori fat body and help in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying silkworm–pathogen interactions.

Extraction and characterization of silkworm Bombyx mori pupae protein

Entomophagy is a re-emerging terminology used to describe the practice of consuming insects as a source of nutrition by human beings. In present study 4-6 days old silk cocoons were procured, pupae were collected and subjected for drying at 70oC for 48 hours, grounded and defatted (N hexane). Protein (crude) was extracted by acid- alkali pH (5.7) shift method. The results revealed that, dried pupae consist of 38.13% of protein, the true protein content of crude protein was 81.02%. proximate (AOAC), colour, water activity, protein solubility were analysed and characterized by analysing functional properties viz., water absorption capacity (3.08 0.02 gwater/gDM), oil absorption capacity (4.05 0.03 goil/gDM), emulsifying activity (1.93 0.09%), emulsifying stability (1.85 0.108%), foaming capacity (7.67 0.47%), foaming stability (5.83 0.23%) least gelation capacity (10.67 0.94w/v), bulk density (0.38 0.01g/ml) and tap density (0.46 0.008g/ml). Silkworm pupae protein proved to be cheap, edible and alternative protein source obtained as a by-product from sericulture industry.

On more-than-human labor: revisiting Japan’s ecological modernity and the politics and ethics of interspecies entanglements

This article contributes to the discussion of the concept of ecological modernity in the context of Japanese studies. This concept generally describes modern political tactics to draw a distinction between the human and the nonhuman, reconfiguring the former’s place in and relationship with the natural world. My study focuses on the human-silkworm relation and different forms of labor in the Japanese sericulture industry from the late nineteenth century to the present. Looking closely at this specific form of interspecies relationality, I explore the extent to which the physical labor of jokō (female workers) and the metabolic labor of silkworms are together controlled and maintained by political means at a national level. Revisiting Japan’s ecological modernity from this perspective, I argue, helps reveal the state’s exploitative attitude toward both human and natural resources in more nuanced ways. The ethical and political dimension of my genealogical work also includes an attempt to raise ecological awareness about our symbiotic coexistence, as we are ineluctably bound up or entangled with others, human and nonhuman alike.

A Lipidome Map of the Silkworm Bombyx mori: Influences of Viral Infection.

Lipids have been recently proposed as key molecules for virus entry and egress, and lipid biosynthesis and signaling were reported necessary for some viruses during replication and infection. The silkworm Bombyx mori is an important economic insect and a model organism, but its lipid profiles have not been systematically investigated. Most silkworm strains are susceptible to the B. mori nuclear polyhedrovirus (BmNPV), a baculovirus that causes serious loss to the sericulture industry. Previously, our lab has screened a natural mutant of B. mori that is highly resistant to BmNPV. In this study, a comprehensive lipidomic analysis by ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was carried out on the BmNPV-susceptible strain 306 and resistant strain NB (data deposited in MetaboLight MTBLS2142). Comparisons of the lipid profiles between the two strains reveal that phosphosphingolipids, diacylglycerolipids, ceramides, and quinones were present at notably higher levels in the susceptible strain, while lysophosphocholines were found at a higher level in the resistant strain. BmNPV administration changed the lipid profiles in both strains, revealing key lipids involved in virus infection and immune response. Some key enzymes in the lipid biosynthesis pathway were analyzed for their activities in the two silkworm strains and their virus-administered counterparts, underlining the relation among lipid biosynthesis, viral resistance, and immune response in the host.