• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.108-115
• /
• 1999

An improvement of methods in fibroin hydrolysates preparat significantly enlarges their applications to practical use. Acidic hydrolysis by hydrohloric acid is one of the methods for silk fibroin depolymeriza6tion. A low yield of final product and long time of the process are the demerits of this method. Possibility of preparation of water-soluble silk hydrolysates with more yield and less expenses is investigated in this study. Such possibility is occurred with the increasing tratment temperature and simultaneously decreasing treatment time, concentration of hydrochoric acid respectively, the concentration of sodium hydroxide used for neutraliza6tion of hydolysates after hydrolysis. Colour is decreased in this case and a small amount of activated, too. Protection of hydrolysates against precipitation after neutraliza6tion, and separation and during concentrating process is the other merit of this method. Creamy-coloured insoluble silk powder is the remainder of hydrolyzed fibroin. This is the only the immobiliza6tion of enzymes and other physiological active substances. Fine particles of this powder can be used as additives for artificial diets and cultural media, as well as raw materials for polymer membranes, etc.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2002

Dissolution of Antheraea pernyi silk fiber was carried out in a zinc chloride solution with various dissolving conditions. The solubility was significantly dependent on the concentration of zinc chloride, dissolving temperature and time. The proper conditions of dissolution were found as 8 M zinc chloride, 70$^{\circ}C$ temperature and 30 min dissolving time. Regenerated A. pernyi silk fibroin powder was obtained through dialysis. FTIR and XRD showed that regenerated A. pernyi silk powder was composed of a ${\beta}$-sheet as well as an ${\alpha}$-helix conformation.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.120-125
• /
• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effects of silk fibroin (Mw 500) powder (SFP) on lipofuscin, acetylcholine (ACh) and its related enzyme activities in brain of rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats (160$\pm$10 g) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets (SFP-2.5 and SFp-5.0 groups) added 2.5 and 5.0 g/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. In case of liver membranes, lipofuscin (LF) levels resulted in a considerable decreases (11.5% and 13.8%, respectively) in SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. But in case of brain as the most sensitive organ, LF levels were remarkably inhibited about 18.3% and 21.7% in SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. Acetylcholine (ACh) levels were considerable decrease (3.0% and 9.2%, respectively) in brain membranes of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. choine acetyltranferase (ChAT) activities as a synthesis enzyme of ACh, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities as a hydrolysis enzyme resulted in a slight increases (2.4% and 3.0%, 4.6% and 6.3%, respectively), but significance difference between ChAT and AChE activities by SFP administration could be not obtained. Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activities were significantly inhibited (9.5% and 12.6%, respectively) in brain of SEP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. These results suggest that inhibiting effects of LF accumulation and MAO-B activity of silk fibroin(SFP) may play a pivotal role in protecting learning memory impairments by attenuating a various age-related changes for improvement of brain function.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.116-124
• /
• 2001

To improve the functional properties as a food, silk fibroin was phosphorylated with STMP In the phosphorylation reaction of silk fibroin, the degree of phosphorylation was increased with high alkali index and treatment temperature. Depending on treatment time and concentration of STMP it was rapidly increased up to 1hr. and 50%, but slowly above that time and 100%. It was indicated in the results of FT-IR analysis and $\^$31/p NMR spectroscopy of phosphorylated fibroin that it had a close ∝-helix and poly-phosphate structure. The more phosphorylation of fibroin made more turbidity, foam expansion and foam stability, but less solubility. Emulsifying activity was increased up to P100, but slightly decreased above Pl00 and emulsifying stability was constantly increased on the progressing of phosphorylation.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 2022

As the issue of reducing greenhouse gases is emerging due to global warming and extreme weather, research on materials capable of radiative cooling without energy consumption is being actively conducted. Among them, silk is known as a natural self-cooling material, but in the conventional mixing process using chemically powdered silk, there is a problem that the radiative cooling effect disappears by the collapses of the intrinsic crystal structure of silk fibroin, so it is difficult to manufacture it in the form of a film or coating agent for radiative cooling. In this study, various types of membranes were manufactured using silk powder that went through a physical pulverization process that does not damage the intrinsic structure of silk fibroin, and the study was conducted to examine its applicability as a coating agent. Electrospun membranes and flat sheet membranes were prepared by using silk fibroin powder for this purpose, and it was observed that the viscosity of the solution had a significant effect on the membrane fabrication and its properties.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.340-346
• /
• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effects of silk fibroin(Mw 500) powder (SFP) on oxygen radicals and the scavenger enzymes in brain membranes of rats. Spragu-Dawley(SD) male rats(160${\pm}$10g) were fed basic diet(control group), and experimental diets(SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups) added 2.5 and 5.0g/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. Hydroxyl radical($.$OH) levels resulted in a decreases(6.6% and 9.7%, 2.8% and 11.9%, respectively) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group, but were significantly decreased in these membrances of SFP-5.0 group only. Superoxide radical (O2) levels were a slightly decreased (2.0% and 9.1%, respectively) in brain cytosol of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. Lipid peroxide(LPO) levels were significantly decreased (12.9% and 21.9%, 13.2% and 22.5%, respectively) in brain mitochondria and microsomes of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. Oxidized protein (OP) levels were significantly decreased (16.7% and 15.7%, respectively) in brain microsomes of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 group compared with control group, but significantly difference between in brain mitochondria of these two groups could not be obtained. Mn-SOD activities were remarkably increased (11.2% and 24.2%, respectively) in mitochodria of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups. CuZn-SOD activities were effectively increased (7.7% and 19.6%, respectively) in brain cytosol of SFP-2.5 and SFP-5.0 groups, but significant difference between control and SFP-2.5 groups could be not obtained. GSHPx activities were considerably increased (5.3% and 11.7%, respectively) in brain cytosol of SFP-2.0 and SFP-5.0 groups compared with control group. There results suggest that anti-aging effect of silk fibroin may play an effective learning and memory role in a attenuating a oxidative stress and increasing a scavenger enzyme activity in brain membranes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.99-99
• /
• 2002

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
• /
• 2000.10a
• /
• pp.29-29
• /
• 2000

No Abstract.See Full-text

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.459-466
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study evaluated the capability of bone formation with silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite/corn starch composite scaffold as a bone defect replacement matrix when grafted in a calvarial bone defect of rabbits $in$ $vivo$. Methods: Ten New Zealand white rabbits were used for this study and bilateral round-shaped defects were formed in the parietal bone (diameter: 8.0 mm). The silk fibroin 10% nano-hydroxyapatite/30% corn starch/60% composite scaffold was grafted into the right parietal bone (experimental group). The left side (control group) was grafted with a nano-hydroxyapatite (30%)/corn starch (70%) scaffold. The animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks and 8 weeks. A micro-computerized tomography (${\mu}CT$) of each specimen was taken. Subsequently, the specimens were decalcified and stained with Masson's trichrome for histological and histomorphometric analysis. Results: The average ${\mu}CT$ and histomorphometric measures of bone formation were higher in the control group than in the experimental group at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after surgery though not statistically significant ($P$ >0.05). Conclusion: The rabbit calvarial defect was not successfully repaired by silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite/corn starch composite scaffold and may have been due to an inflammatory reaction caused by silk powder. In the future, the development of composite bone graft material based on various components should be performed with caution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.592-600
• /
• 2021

Probiotics can be processed into a powder, tablet, or capsule form for easy intake. They are exposed to frequent stresses not only during complex processing steps, but also in the human body after intake. For this reason, various coating agents that promote probiotic bacterial stability in the intestinal environment have been developed. Silk fibroin (SF) is a material used in a variety of fields from drug delivery systems to enzyme immobilization and has potential as a coating agent for probiotics. In this study, we investigated this potential by coating probiotic strains with 0.1% or 1% water-soluble calcium (WSC), 1% SF, and 10% trehalose. Under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, cell viability, cell surface hydrophobicity, and cell adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells were then measured. The survival ratio after freeze-drying was highest upon addition of 0.1% WSC. The probiotic bacteria coated with SF showed improved survival by more than 10.0% under simulated gastric conditions and 4.8% under simulated intestinal conditions. Moreover, the cell adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells was elevated by 1.0-36.0%. Our results indicate that SF has positive effects on enhancing the survival and adhesion capacity of bacterial strains under environmental stresses, thus demonstrating its potential as a suitable coating agent to stabilize probiotics throughout processing, packaging, storage and consumption.