• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.17-22
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• 2017

Cooked mature silkworms have received increasing attention as a new source of income for sericultural farms. Quality improvement of these worms as the end-product requires prevention of the following: inclusion of unfertilized silkworm eggs, mixing with impurities, producing undercooked or overcooked mature larvae, and mixing spewed silk substance. Preventing unfertilized eggs and impurities and reducing undercooked or overcooked mature larvae can be achieved by sericultural farms. However, the prevention of spewed silk substance requires the development of new techniques. This study developed new techniques for optimum cold storage temperature, soaking, and hydro-thermal treatment to minimize the spewing of mature larvae prior to steaming: when larvae mature after 7 days on the $5^{th}$ instar, they should be soaked in water at room temperature of $25^{\circ}C$ immediately upon collection and stored at $8^{\circ}C$ for less than 3 days. They should be soaked in boiling water for approximately 10 s immediately before steaming to kill the larvae and cooked with steam. This method allows for the production of high-quality mature larvae without spewed silk substance. These new techniques will considerably improve the production of well-cooked quality mature larvae by minimizing silk substance spewed out from the larvae.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2024

The mature Bombyx mori silkworm is recognized as a rich source of several nutrients. A unique steaming process has been developed to enhance the palatability of Bombyx mori silkworm and make it more convenient to consume. Additionally, it has also been freeze-dried into a powder form, which is recognized as a nutritional supplement with many health benefits. Steamed and Freeze-dried Mature Silkworm Powder (SMSP) is said to offer a wide range of benefits, including longevity, improved athletic performance, prevention of alcohol-induced liver fibrosis or tumors, amelioration of fatty liver, prevention of peptic ulcers, regulation of melanin production, and mitigation of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases by improving cognitive function. The nutritional composition of SMSP is particularly high in glycine, alanine and serine. This review aims to summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying the diverse effects induced by these key components of SMSP. Such elucidation will enhance the credibility of future studies on SMSP, which will require more comprehensive analyses. It appears that SMSP represents a natural health supplement that could have a positive impact on global human health while increasing income.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-43
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• 2006

Lamerin breed of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. is the only mulberry silkworm breed which survives with an associated microsporidian $(Lb_{ms})$ infection from generations. This present comparative investigation has produced information on the influence of $Lb_{ms}$ on the growth and development of the breed. The $Lb_{ms}$ transmits tranovarially as well as perorally at low level. Larvae developed from the eggs laid by female, infected with $Lb_{ms}$ were as normal as larvae developed from the eggs laid by healthy female. In infected tissues early developmental stages and mature spores located intracellularly but did not show hypertrophy of cells of the host. The meronts and sporonts measures $0.46{\pm}0.25,\;1.11{\pm}0.05{\mu}m$ in length and $0.32{\pm}0.05,\;0.78{\pm}0.10{\mu}m$ in width respectively. The mature spore measures $4.36{\pm}0.06{\mu}m$ in length and $2.14{\pm}0.01{\mu}m$ in width.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 2017

Gastric ulcer is a clinical symptom characterized by inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Stress and alcohol consumption have been identified as the major cause of gastric ulcer. However, the effects of silkworms on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer have not been studied yet. The mature silkworms that are difficult to eat have become easier to ingest due to recent technological development to make steaming and freeze-drying mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP). In this study, we investigated whether three silkworm varieties, Baekokjam, Golden-silk and Yeonnokjam could alleviate ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with 3 SMSPs (0.1 or 1 g/kg BW) or normal diet (AIN-76A) were exposed to absolute ethanol (3 g/kg BW, 3 h) by oral gavage. Morphological examination included ulcer index as a measurement of hemorrhages and hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to analyze the severity of gastric ulcer. Results of macroscopic examination suggested that all 3 SMSPs pretreatment significantly protected gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced damage. Microscopic observations demonstrated significant mucosal erosion and inflammation in ethanol-treated rats, which was abrogated in rats pretreated with 3 SMSPs. In addition, pretreatment with all 3 SMSPs showed significant decreases the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2. Among SMSP from 3 varieties of silkworm, preadministration of 1 g/kg Baekokjam SMSP showed the most effective protective effect against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer. These results suggest that Baekokjam SMSP can be a potential gastroprotective agent against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2017

Increased alcohol consumption is a burden on the world because it is associated with various health problems. However, the effects of silkworms on alcohol metabolism have not been studied yet. The hard-to-eat mature silkworms have become easier to ingest recently due to the development of technology, steam-lyophilising mature silkworm larvae. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of SMSPs from three silkworm varieties, Baekokjam, Golden-silk and Yeonnokjam weaving white, golden, and light green cocoons on alcohol metabolism in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with three SMSPs (0.1 g/kg or 1 g/kg body weight) or normal diet (AIN-76A) for 2 weeks were subjected to intragastric administration of absolute ethanol (3 g/kg body weight, 3 h). Three SMSPs did not affect the final body weight and liver weight. All 3 SMSPs were effective to reduce the enzymes in alcohol metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), and liver damage and enzymes involved in liver damage, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Among SMSP from 3 varieties of silkworm, preadministration of 1 g/kg Baekokjam SMSP showed the most effective suppressive effect on the activities of ADH, ALDH, AST and ALT. The Baekokjam SMSP contained higher amounts of beneficial amino acids than Golden-silk or Yeonnokjam SMSP. These results suggest that Baekokjam SMSP might be used as a new and promising candidate for improving alcohol metabolism and liver injury through promoting rapid alcohol metabolism.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.6-14
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• 2016

The mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori has been one of the most important domestic animals which have provided with silk fibers for weaving fabrics and a food for a protein and lipid source. In addition, various health improvement effects of diverse silkworm larval powders were reported. Recently we found that steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP) generated using white-jade (also known as Backokjam) silkworm variety extended healthspan and increased resistance to Parkinson's disease in animal models. Because the colors of cocoons in silkworm varieties were caused by altered signal transduction pathways transporting phytochemicals from intestinal lumens to silk glands, we performed the proximate, amino acid, mineral, carbohydrates, fatty acid, and cholesterol composition analyses of SMSPs of 3 silkworm varieties which were weaving light yellow, golden, and red cocoons. Although most of nutrient compositions among 3 SMSPs were similar, there were significant differences in certain amino acids, minerals, and fatty acid compositions. Red silk silkworm (RS)-SMSP had higher contents of crude proteins and total amino acids than other SMSPs. In addition, the ratio of n-3/n-6 unsaturated fatty acids were higher than the other SMSPs. In contrast Golden silk silkworm (GS)-SMSP had higher ratio of potassium/sodium than the other SMSPs. These nutrient analysis results suggested that 3 SMSPs might have common and unique health improvement effects. Thus, further studies in the functionalities of the 3 SMSPs will reveal unknown their health improvements effects.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2015

To increase the income of sericultural farms and expand sericulture industry, new high value-added products of sericulture which are beyond current products like 5th instar 3 day dried silkworm, male pupa and silkworm dongchunghacho are needed. For this sericulture product diversification, it is in desperate need of the edible processing method after 5th instar 4 day silkworm that silkgland formation is rapidly in progress during the larva periods. So far it was hard to eat because of silkgland formation in their body. So we try to boil and steam frozen-, dried-, and living-silkworm to develop low-cost edible processing methods for farmers. As the result, the silkgland of frozen and dried silkworm was not degenerated, so silkgland in their body was not edible. But in the case of living silkworm, the silkgland of mature silkworm was degenerated by boil and steam treatment, so the body and silkgland of silkworm were not only edible but also tasted good. Then the dried silkworm was easily powdered and there was no problem when it was eaten. This source technology can be widely used in the general food industry, health functional food cosmetics, pet food and so on, so it is predictable that this will contribute to increase the income of sericulture farms and expand sericultural industry.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2017

Hangover due to alcohol consumption causes social and physical problems. There is a growing interest in edible insects worldwide. We have previously published a new technology to make hard mature silkworm, Bombyx mori, into edible form, steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP). In this study, AIN-76 or SMSP (0.1 and 1 g/kg rat body weight) containing diets in SD rats were pretreated for 2 weeks, and ethanol (3 g/kg rat body weight) was administered as an oral gavage and sacrificed after 3 hours. As a result, blood alcohol and aldehyde levels were significantly decreased in SMSP fed rats. In addition, liver injury markers, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly decreased in SMSP group compared to ethanol group. $TNF-{\alpha}$, an inflammatory cytokine, and malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress marker, also showed a dose-dependent decrease in the group receiving SMSP. Conclusively, consumption of SMSP not only reduced hangover induced by ethanol, but also decreased liver damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.40-43
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• 2019

Mature silkworms (MS) of Bombyx mori have enlarged silk glands, which are known to be enriched with various functional materials. A special steaming method has been developed for processing MS with enlarged silk glands edible, by which the MS have become a potential health supplement for improving the quality of life. Steamed and lyophilized MS powder (SMSP) has been strongly believed to have various unidentified beneficial effects for humans. Therefore, the purpose of this mini-review is to summarize the various health promoting functionalities of SMSP, which have been published in the paper so far. Firstly, SMSP increased healthspan as well as lifespan, locomotor ability, and resistance to Parkinson's disease by enhancing olfaction and mitochondrial activity in neurons. Secondly, SMSP increased resistance to carcinogens causing liver cancers, improved both acute and chronic liver function with alcohol metabolism, and prevented alcohol induced stomach ulcers. Thirdly, SMSP reduced UVB-induced skin pigmentations and melanogenesis. Taken together, SMSP can be regarded as a promising natural health product to increase incomes for sericultural farm households in Korea as well as global human health and welfare.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm powder (SMSP) is a natural food containing a large amount of various functional materials and has various health promoting effects. SMSP is known to increase the life expectancy and healthspan, simultaneously. The accomplishment of extension of healthspan should be possible to achieve by activating various signaling pathways delaying aging in various tissues, not by regulating only a few signaling pathways. Consistent with this notion, SMSP increased the resistant to Parkinson disease by enhancing olfaction and mitochondrial activity in neurons of animal models. In addition, SMSP could enhance the gastrointestinal functions. The animals consumed SMSP showed enhanced alcohol metabolisms, reduced cholesterols in bloods, increased resistance to carcinogens causing liver cancers, and protective effects in alcohol induced stomach ulcers. Furthermore, SMSP was also effective in appearance. The SMSP consumed animals showed reduced skin pigmentations and more hair growth compared with control animals. Taken together, the functional enhancement effects of SMSPs in various tissues and organs, which have been discovered to date, are combined to extend healthspan. Therefore, SMSP can be regarded as calorie restriction mimetics. Further studies in the health promoting effects of SMSP will contribute to identifying new applicable diseases, resulted in increased sales of SMSP and incomes of sericulture farmers.