Degumming Research Articles

Karnataka and India’s Silk Industry: A Comprehensive Analysis of Sericulture Dynamics

India is the second largest producer of silk with 36,453 MT (2022-23) after China and also the largest consumer of silk in the world. Asia is the main producer of silk in the world and produces over 95 per cent of the total global output. In India, mulberry silk is produced mainly in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal, while the non-mulberry silks are produced in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and North-Eastern states. Much of silk exports earnings is from silk garments, silk carpets and silk wastes, which is about 1,773.38 crore Rs. in total in 2022–23. Mulberry is the largest contributor to the total raw silk production with the compound annual growth rate of 3.09 per cent at 1 per cent level of significance. Tasar silk production registered highest growth rate of 13.67 per cent at 1 per cent level of significance and Jharkhand is the major contributor of about 80 per cent for the total tasar silk production. Karnataka is the leading producer of mulberry silk whereas Assam is currently the largest producer of Vanya silk. Telangana registered a highest compound annual growth rate of 21.1 per cent at 1 per cent level of significance followed by Maharashtra (16.9%). Ramanagara is having highest area under mulberry (20804.56 hectares) followed by Chikkaballapura (20544.62 hectares) and Kolar (19907.79 hectares) in Karnataka.

Natural Silk Production Conditions in South Sulawesi Province

Natural Silk Production Conditions in South Sulawesi Province

Advancements in Sericulture: Innovations and Biomedical Applications of Silk and Its Derivatives

Silk, particularly from the Bombyx mori species, has been found to possess unique properties that make it exceptionally suitable for biomedical applications. Sericulture, traditionally known for silk production, has found significant applications in the biomedical field. This article explores the use of silk and its derivatives in various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, wound healing, and medical sutures. The biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical properties of silk make it an ideal material for numerous medical applications. This article discusses the advancements in utilizing sericulture products in biomedical sciences, highlighting the potential and the challenges of these applications.

Current Progress on Scale‐Up and Commercialization of Microbially‐Produced Silk

AbstractOver the past two decades, significant advancements have been made in the scalable production and commercialization of microbially‐produced recombinant protein polymers. This perspective presents the evolution from early research efforts to the development of market‐ready products, with a focus on recombinant silk‐like proteins. Initial attempts to synthesize spider silk proteins in microbial hosts faced challenges with solubility, stability, and yield. Recent advancements in synthetic biology, protein engineering, and bioprocess development have enabled the substantial progress on these challenges. Early commercial efforts highlight the complexities and high costs involved in silk production and more recent strategies have shifted toward processes with better scalability, techno‐economics, and product properties. Significant commercial progress has been made, with products launched in textiles and personal care. Although market penetration is limited so far, substantial groundwork is laid for future success. Key challenges remain, such as continued high production costs and the need for cost‐effective purification and fiber spinning techniques. However, the convergence of scientific, technological, and market developments –including a growing number of product launches – suggests that recombinant silk and protein polymers can soon become widespread sustainable materials across various industries.

A Review on Medicinal Value of Silkworm Product and By-Products

Sericulture is an agro based industry that includes production of raw silk by breeding, rearing of silkworm and cultivation of their host plants. The manufacture of various types of silk was the only emphasis of the traditional sericulture industry, and leftovers were typically disposed away as trash. Byproducts and products from sericulture can be used medicinally in addition to generating silk. The silkworm is a valuable tool in laboratory research and has been utilised as a model organism in life sciences, environmental monitoring, antimicrobial drug screening, and other applications. Protein extract from silkworm eggs is used to improve memory and assist control weight. The silkworm's larvae are also beneficial medicinally; they include blood glucose-lowering agents and silkworm gut fibre, among other things. Similarly, silkworm pupae, a significant by-product of the silk reeling business, have great nutritional content and potential medical applications including hepatoprotection, anticancer, and anti-aging. They can be utilised as an alternative to conventional dietary supplements. As a result, functional sericulture under a new paradigm has replaced sericulture to produce solely silk fabric, greatly increasing farmer revenue while also relieving patient suffering.

Beyond Phu-Tai Matmii Handwoven Silk Fabric: Weaving Pattern Design, Ancestral Wisdom, and Originality

Handwoven silk patterns are vital to transferring ancestral assets, which plays a crucial role in preserving ethnic silk heritage in northeast Thailand. However, traditional weaving patterns are not preserved following the handwoven silk pattern, transferring ancestral wisdom, thus originality becomes a seriously endangered conservation practice. This research aims to explore how weaving pattern design, ancestral wisdom, and originality of Phu-Tai Matmii handwoven silk fabric is maintained in Kalasin province. An ethnonarrative research was conducted using a purposive sampling technique of 20 Phu-Tai Matmii handwoven silk groups in Somdet district, Kalasin province, northeast Thailand. Face-to-face in-depth interview transcripts of data were performed using an interpretive thematic analysis (themes, familiarization, coding, quotations, and writing up). The first theme is reweaving pattern designs, with subthemes of sketching pattern, color dyeing, yarn spinning, and combine pattern techniques. The second theme is ancestral wisdom, including the subthemes of pattern imitation, trials, practice, weaving, and finished silk products. The third theme is original identity along with subthemes of pattern perception, pattern communication, pattern values, pattern culture, and pattern identity.

Bridging tradition with innovation: Revolutionzing sericulture through biotechnological advancements

Sericulture, the practice of rearing silkworms (Bombyxmori L.) for silk production, has been an integral part of global textile industries for millennia. With the advent of biotechnology, particularly advancements in molecular biology and genetics, new avenues have opened up to enhance various aspects of sericulture. This abstract clearly indicates the multifaceted applications of biotechnology in sericulture, focusing on genetic improvement of silkworms, disease management strategies, enhancement of silk production efficiency and promotion of environmental sustainability. Sericulture encompasses the entire process of silk production, from silkworm rearing to silk reeling and textile manufacturing. Historically significant and economically vital in many regions, sericulture faces contemporary challenges such as disease outbreaks, genetic limitations and environmental pressures. Biotechnology offers promising solutions by leveraging tools and techniques from molecular biology, genetics and bioprocess engineering to address these challenges and enhance the productivity, quality and sustainability of silk production.

Linc20486 promotes BmCPV replication through inhibiting the transcription of AGO2 and Dicers

The silkworm holds pivotal economic importance, serving not only as a primary source of silk but also as a prominent model organism in scientific research. Nonetheless, silkworm farming remains vulnerable to diverse factors, with viral infections posing the gravest threat to the sericulture industry. Among these, the Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV), a member of the Reoviridae family and the cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus genus, emerges as a significant pathogen in silkworm production. BmCPV infection primarily induces midgut sepsis in silkworms, spreads rapidly, and can inflict substantial economic losses on sericulture production. Presently, effective strategies for preventing and treating BmCPV infections are lacking.Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) constitutes a class of RNA molecules with transcripts exceeding 200 nt, playing a crucial role in mediating the interplay between pathogens and host cells. Investigation through high-throughput technology has unveiled that BmCPV infection markedly upregulates the expression of Linc20486. This observation suggests potential involvement of Linc20486 in regulating virus replication. Indeed, as anticipated, knockdown of Linc20486 in cells profoundly impedes BmCPV replication, whereas overexpression significantly enhances virus propagation.To probe into the mechanism underlying Linc20486′s impact on virus replication, its effects on autophagy, innate immunity, and RNAi-related pathways were scrutinized. The findings revealed that Linc20486 exerts significant influence on the expression of RNAi pathway-related genes, such as Dicer1, Dicer2 and AGO2. This discovery holds promise for unveiling novel avenues to comprehend and combat BmCPV infections in silkworms.

Nanosensors for monitoring in sericulture: Enhancing silk production through precision technology

Over millennia, sericulture the traditional practice of raising silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) for the purpose of producing silk, has undergone substantial change. From its beginnings in China to its eventual global expansion along the Silk Road, sericulture has continued to be an important industry, producing fine silk strands that are woven into highly priced garments all over the world. But just like any agricultural venture, sericulture has to deal with issues including pest control, environmental factors, and maintaining the quality of the silk. In sericulture, traditional monitoring techniques frequently depend on manual observation and recurrent sampling, which can be labour-intensive and may not offer the real-time information needed for prompt actions. Recent advancements in nanotechnology have made it possible to develop nanosensors that can precisely and continuously monitor environmental parameters, insect presence, and silk quality a viable option to modernize sericulture's monitoring techniques. This article explores the applications, benefits, challenges, and future prospects of nanosensors for monitoring in sericulture, highlighting their potential to enhance silk production efficiency, sustainability, and economic viability.

Differential expression of fibroin-related genes in middle silk glands is induced by dietary differences in a strain-dependent manner in Bombyx mori

The silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a model organism for lepidopteran insects. It is an oligophagous insect that primarily feeds on mulberry leaves and has industrial use for the production of raw silk. The development of artificial diets has provided an alternative nutrient source for silkworms; however, one significant issue is that the production of cocoons is lower in silkworms reared on artificial diets compared with those reared on mulberry leaves. The differences in the silk gland in the late-stage fifth instar silkworm larvae, when silk synthesis is most active, between those raised on artificial diets and mulberry leaves, are unknown. In this study, we identified differences in the transcriptomes of the middle and posterior silk glands of fifth instar day five silkworm larvae reared on artificial diets compared with those reared on mulberry leaves using three strains: Daizo, Nichi01, and J137 × C146. We found that the silk-related genes fibrohexamerin (fhx), fibroin-light-chain (fibL), and fibroin-heavy-chain (fibH) in the middle silk gland, and ser1 in the posterior silk gland, were differentially expressed in a strain-dependent manner. In silkworms reared on artificial diets, fhx, fibL, and fibH in the middle silk gland were upregulated in Nichi01 and downregulated in J137 × C146, whereas ser1 in the posterior silk gland was upregulated in J137 × C146 compared with silkworms reared on mulberry leaves. Our results demonstrate that the diet and strain of silkworm larvae affect the expression of genes related to silk production in their silk glands during the late fifth instar stage.

Biomimetic 3D printing: Cocoon-like silk reinforcements from discarded cocoons for hemispherical composite components

Silkworm cocoons serve as the primary raw material for silk fabric production. However, due to stringent quality requirements for silk products, only high-quality cocoons are selected, while defective ones such as spotted cocoons are relegated to low-value textile fillers or direct landfilling. To enhance the value of discarded cocoons, this study combines continuous fiber 3D printing technology with traditional molding techniques, using discarded cocoons as raw materials to create high-performance hemispherical composite materials that mimic the natural structure of silkworm cocoons, thereby achieving efficient resource reuse. Additionally, a novel random path algorithm for 3D printing was developed to address the issue of uneven fiber orientation in the manufacturing of curved composite materials. The vacuum bag molding method was utilized to combine silk-like hemispherical fiber-reinforced bodies with resin, producing hemispherical composites with a high fiber content. Extensive tensile testing on longitudinally and laterally cut cocoon fiber samples was conducted to explore the mechanical behavior in various directions, revealing unique anisotropic properties. Further tensile testing on homemade silk yarn confirmed the material's high strength and excellent toughness. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated good interfacial bonding between the silk and bio-based epoxy resin within the composites. Compression tests indicated a maximum load capacity of 6717 N, showcasing exceptional impact resistance and superior energy absorption in projectile impact tests. Even under extreme loads, the hemispherical composites maintained a substantial intact area, highlighting their structural integrity advantages. This study not only breathes new life into industrial waste but also provides a new direction for the manufacturing sector to achieve a greener and more sustainable development path.

Disentangling the Web: An Interdisciplinary Review on the Potential and Feasibility of Spider Silk Bioproduction.

The remarkable material properties of spider silk, such as its high toughness and tensile strength combined with its low density, make it a highly sought-after material with myriad applications. In addition, the biological nature of spider silk makes it a promising, potentially sustainable alternative to many toxic or petrochemical-derived materials. Therefore, interest in the heterologous production of spider silk proteins has greatly increased over the past few decades, making recombinant spider silk an important frontier in biomanufacturing. This has resulted in a diversity of potential host organisms, a large space for sequence design, and a variety of downstream processing techniques and product applications for spider silk production. Here, we highlight advances in each of these technical aspects as well as white spaces therein, still ripe for further investigation and discovery. Additionally, industry landscaping, patent analyses, and interviews with Key Opinion Leaders help define both the research and industry landscapes. In particular, we found that though textiles dominated the early products proposed by companies, the versatile nature of spider silk has opened up possibilities in other industries, such as high-performance materials in automotive applications or biomedical therapies. While continuing enthusiasm has imbued scientists and investors alike, many technical and business considerations still remain unsolved before spider silk can be democratized as a high-performance product. We provide insights and strategies for overcoming these initial hurdles, and we highlight the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and policy makers. Linking technical considerations to business and market entry strategies highlights the importance of a holistic approach for the effective scale-up and commercial viability of spider silk bioproduction.

Innovative Approaches to Enhance Sericulture: Integrating Drone Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Precision Cultivation of Mulberry Fields in Bangladesh

Silk production in Bangladesh’s rural economy, which is the practice of raising silkworms, has long been an essential part of the country’s rural economy and this has contributed a lot to the national economy as well as improved people’s lives. Traditional sericulture however faces problems such as pest infestations, inconsistent yields of mulberry leaves, wasteful use of resources and effects of climatic change despite the country having favorable climate that supports silk farming and availability of a skilled labor force. These challenges can be addressed through recent technological innovations including artificial intelligence technology and drone surveillance for instance. Drones fitted with cameras combined with GPS have ability to control fully grown mulberry farms whereas artificial intelligence system analyze data on optimal resource management in terms of pests’ control among others. The objective is to establish how drones and AI can affect Bangladeshi sericulture farming field primarily in Jessore and Rajshahi – two most important sericulture areas in the country. For two crop cycles namely July-October 2022 and March-June 2023, research used drones along with TensorFlow for AI integration where it recorded aspects such as leaf yield, pest loads, input application rates among others. Technologies integrations had resulted to increased mulberry leaf yield by approximately 18% from 2500Kg/ha to 2950Kg/ha.

Enhancing Rooting in Morus alba Cuttings: Effects of Indolebutyric Acid and a Commercial Rooting Agent across Branch Positions

Sericulture is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk using white mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.); thus, the sector's quality production of mulberry seedlings on a large scale is economically important. The production of seedlings through cuttings is the most effective and fastest reproduction method. Still, it can also be enhanced using synthetic rooting agents, increasing the productive potential of white mulberry crops. The current work aims to evaluate the response of cuttings taken from different parts of the branch of M. alba var. Miura (Apical 1, Apical 2, Medial, Basal 1, and Basal 2) and treated with indolebutyric acid (IBA; 500, 1,000, and 1,500 mg L-1) and commercial rooting agent Forth® (10 % v/v), in addition to a control treatment. After treating the branches, they were placed in polyethylene containers filled with substrate and kept in a greenhouse for 70 days. The application of hormones on cuttings of M. alba favored several morpho-agronomic parameters evaluated for the propagules obtained from different positions on the branch. In conclusion, applying 500 or 1,000 mg L-1 of IBA is recommended for the various positions, with Basal 1 and Basal 2 showing higher values ​​in the evaluated parameters than the other positions. The results can help silk breeders optimize white mulberry crop production.

Context-Encoder-Based Image Inpainting for Ancient Chinese Silk

The rapid advancement of deep learning technologies presents novel opportunities for restoring damaged patterns in ancient silk, which is pivotal for the preservation and propagation of ancient silk culture. This study systematically scrutinizes the evolutionary trajectory of image inpainting algorithms, with a particular emphasis on those firmly rooted in the Context-Encoder structure. To achieve this study’s objectives, a meticulously curated dataset comprising 6996 samples of ancient Chinese silk (256 × 256 pixels) was employed. Context-Encoder-based image inpainting models—LISK, MADF, and MEDFE—were employed to inpaint damaged patterns. The ensuing restoration effects underwent rigorous evaluation, providing a comprehensive analysis of the inherent strengths and limitations of each model. This study not only provides a theoretical foundation for adopting image restoration algorithms grounded in the Context-Encoder structure but also offers ample scope for exploration in achieving more effective restorations of ancient damaged silk.

Integrative Approaches in Sericulture from Traditional Practices to Modern Technologies Sericulture and Its Contribution to Biodiversity Conservation

This paper delves into the evolution of sericulture, tracing its transformation from traditional practices deeply rooted in cultural heritage to the adoption of modern technologies. Sericulture, the rearing of silkworms for silk production, has been a cornerstone of human civilization for millennia, contributing economically, culturally, and ecologically. The transition from traditional methods to advanced techniques has reshaped silk production, enhanced efficiency and quality while raising concerns about ecological sustainability. Traditional sericulture, characterized by organic farming and agroforestry, has played a crucial role in biodiversity conservation by promoting diverse ecosystems. Modern advancements, such as automated rearing systems and genetic engineering, have revolutionized the industry but also pose potential threats to ecological balance. This paper underscores the necessity of integrative approaches that combine traditional wisdom with modern innovations to ensure the future viability of sericulture. Such approaches foster interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, aiming to develop sustainable strategies that prioritize environmental conservation, socio-economic development, and cultural heritage preservation. The paper calls for concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers, to support sustainable practices in sericulture. By adopting holistic management practices and embracing diversity in perspectives, sericulture can emerge as a resilient agroecosystem capable of thriving amid the challenges of a rapidly changing world. This study ultimately highlights sericulture's potential as a model for sustainable development and environmental stewardship, advocating for practices that harmonize human ingenuity with nature's integrity.

Impact of Climate Change on Sericulture

Climate change is likely to pose problems to agriculture and its related industries in the future, which could result in both global and local development. The sericulture sector is impacted by climate change in a number of ways. Rising annual mean temperature, irregular rainfall, humidity, lack of management practices, accumulation of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and lack of management practices will lead to reduced production of raw silk, mulberry leaf yield, silk content, breakage in silk thread during reeling or spinning, water stress, drought, risk of soil acidification and salinization, decomposition of organic matter, Nitrogen fixation, and mineralization of N, P, and S and unpredictable monsoon. The impact of global warming on silkworms is more concerned as they participate in several biotic interactions that are critical to the ecological functioning of our country and significantly boost its GDP.

An optimized method for mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (Bombycidae:Lepidoptera) sex classification using TLBPSGA-RFEXGBoost.

Silkworm seed production is vital for silk farming, requiring precise breeding techniques to optimize yields. In silkworm seed production, precise sex classification is crucial for optimizing breeding and boosting silk yields. A non-destructive approach for sex classification addresses these challenges, offering an efficient alternative that enhances both yield and environmental responsibility. Southern India is a hub for mulberry silk and cocoon farming, with the high-yielding double-hybrid varieties FC1 (foundation cross 1) and FC2 (foundation cross 2) being popular. Traditional methods of silkworm pupae sex classification involve manual sorting by experts, necessitating the cutting of cocoons - a practice with a high risk of damaging the cocoon and affecting yield. To address this issue, this study introduces an accelerated histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) feature extraction technique that is enhanced by block-level dimensionality reduction. This non-destructive method allows for efficient and accurate silkworm pupae classification. The modified HOG features are then fused with weight features and processed through a machine learning classification model that incorporates recursive feature elimination (RFE). Performance evaluation shows that an RFE-hybridized XGBoost model attained the highest classification accuracy, achieving 97.2% for FC1 and 97.1% for FC2. The model further optimized with a novel teaching learning-based population selection genetic algorithm (TLBPSGA) achieved a remarkable accuracy of 98.5% for FC1 and 98.2% for FC2. These findings have far-reaching implications for improving both the ecological sustainability and economic efficiency of silkworm seed production.

Effects of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) on silk proteins in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Animal silk is economically important, while silk secretion is a complex and subtle mechanism regulated by many genes. We identified the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) gene of the silkworm and successfully cloned its coding sequence (CDS) sequence. Using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR/Cas9) technology, we screened single guide RNA (sgRNA) with high knockout efficiency by cellular experiments and obtained PARP1 mutants by knocking out the PARP1 gene of the silkworm at the individual level. We found that the mutants mainly exhibited phenotypes such as smaller cocoon size and reduced cocoon shell rate than the wild type. We also detected the expression of silk protein genes in the mutant by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and found that the expression of some silk protein genes was slightly down-regulated. Meanwhile, together with the results of transcriptomic analysis, we hypothesized that PARP1 may affect the synthesis of silk proteins, resulting in their failure to function properly. Our study may provide an important reference for future in-depth refinement of the molecular mechanism of silk protein expression in silk-producing animals, as well as a potential idea for future development of molecular breeding lines of silkworms to improve silk production.

Analysis of the Economic and Social Impacts of a Silk Production Project in Egypt

Analysis of the Economic and Social Impacts of a Silk Production Project in Egypt