• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2013

In this study, silk sericin films were prepared using different extraction methods, and the molecular conformation of sericin was examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection geometry. Additionally, the effect of the film side (air-facing side or plate-facing side) on the molecular conformation of the sericin films was investigated. Interestingly, the molecular conformation of the sericin film depended on the film side. The molecular conformation of air-facing side of the sericin film was significantly influenced by extraction solution and time. The ${\beta}$-sheet crystallization and the crystallinity index of the sericin film markedly increased with an increase in the extraction time in hot water. The order of the crystallinity indices for the sericin films obtained with different extraction solutions was as follows: citric acid solution > urea solution >> hot water. In contrast, no remarkable differences were observed in the molecular conformation of the plate-facing side of the sericin film after extraction in hot water for different time periods. Urea and citric acid solution extractions showed remarkably higher crystallinity indices for sericin than those obtained after hot water extraction. However, no significant differences were observed in the crystallinity index of sericin between urea and citric acid solution extraction in plate-facing side of the film.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.36-42
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• 2018

Recently, silk sericin has attracted attention because of its unique properties as a biomaterial, including its UV resistance, moisturizing effect on skin, and wound-healing effect. Therefore, the preparation of sericin in various forms such as gel, film, fiber, and sponge is studied for cosmetic and biomedical applications, and the effect of the preparation conditions on the structure and properties of sericin forms is examined to maximize its performance. In this study, silk sericin films were prepared under different preparation conditions and heat-treated at high temperatures ($100-250^{\circ}C$) to examine the effect of heat treatment on the film structure. The order of the crystallinity index of the untreated sericin film is as follows: F25 (sericin film cast from formic acid) > WE25 (ethanol treated sericin film cast from water at $250^{\circ}C$) > W25 (sericin film cast from water at $250^{\circ}C$) > W100 (sericin film cast from water at $100^{\circ}C$). As the heat-treatment temperature was increased, the color of the sericin films changed gradually from colorless to yellow, brown, and black depending on the temperature. The crystallinity of the sericin film changed after the heat treatment, depending on the preparation condition. Whereas a sericin film cast from formic acid (F25) started to lose its crystallinity at $200^{\circ}C$, thus undergoing the highest loss of crystallinity among the sericin films studied, the rest (W25, WE25, and W100) showed a decrease in crystallinity at $250^{\circ}C$, owing to the disruption of the ${\beta}$-sheet crystallites due to heat.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 1998

For the application of silk sericin, silk sericin powders were prepared by various spray dry conditions and the characteristics of silk sericin/polyurethane mixed films were investigated. When the sericin was dried from the solution at higher inlet and outlet temperature, larger sizes of the powder particles were obtained. It was also found that inlet and outlet temperatures were important factors affecting the shape and surface characteristics of sericin power particle. The many holes and empty spaces were observed at the surface and cross section of sericin/PU mixed film. With the increase of the amount of sericin powder in the mixed films, the size and number of holes and empty spaces were increased. The thickness of sericin/PU mixed film was increased with the content of sericin powder. As the portion of sericin powder increase, the tenacity is decreased while the elongation slightly increased.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2005

The tensile properties, acetic acid solubility and degree of swelling in distilled water of cellulose/chitosan and sericin/chitosan film blended by mixing chitosan acetic acid solution with cellulose solution or sericin solution were investigated and the effect of crosslinking agent on solubility and degree of swelling were also considered. From the experimental results, the model of intermolecular bond is proposed. Tensile modulus of 100% cellulose film is high but the tensile strength and elongation are low. The elongation of 100% chitosan film is high but tensile modulus and strength is low. But it is possible to make film having same or higher tensile strength and modulus compared to that of 100% cellulose film by mixing cellulose and chitosan or by mixing sericin and chitosan. Chitosan is solved in 5vol % acetic acid solution but cellulose and sericin are not solved. Degree of swelling of chitosan in distilled water is higher than that of cellulose and sericin. Lower than 40wt% chitosan content, the solubility of cellulose/chitosan film in 5vol % acetic acid solution shows lower expected value but higher in case of sericin/chitosan film.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2023

Recently, a silkworm strain (tentatively named Sericinjam) producing 100% sericin cocoons has been studied in South Korea. In this preliminary study, the crystallinity, mechanical properties, and dissolution conditions of sericin from Sericinjam cocoons were examined. The Sericinjam cocoon could be dissolved in water at high temperature (120℃) and high pressure (HTHP method) in an autoclave and in a CaCl₂/H₂O/EtOH mixture (ternary solvent method), resulting in 82% and 97% dissolution after 30 min, respectively. The solution viscosity of the silk sericin formic acid (SSFA) solution obtained from sericin extracted using the ternary solvent method was higher than that obtained using the HTHP method; however, SSFA solutions obtained from sericin extracted from conventional Baekokjam cocoons yielded a higher solution viscosity. The crystallinity and breaking strength of the sericin film from Sericinjam cocoons were slightly lower, respectively, than those from Baekokjam cocoons. In contrast, the elongation at break of the Sericinjam sericin film obtained using the HTHP method was higher than that of the Baekokjam sericin film.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2016

Recently, silk sericin has been studied extensively for biomedical and cosmetic applications because of its unique properties, including UV resistance and wound healing ability. For use in applications, sericin is fabricated in various forms including films and gels. However, the mechanical properties of sericin are too weak. In this basic study on improving the mechanical properties of sericin, a silk sericin aqueous solution was separated into two layers by centrifugation. The solution viscosity, molecular conformation, and mechanical properties of each separation layer of the sericin were examined. Sericin from the lower layer had a higher solution viscosity and film mechanical properties (strength and strain) than that from the upper layer, implying that sericin from the lower layer had a higher molecular weight than that from the upper layer. The molecular conformation of the sericin films varied depending on the casting solvent. In aqueous solution, the sericin film from the lower layer showed a ${\beta}$-sheet conformation, whereas that from the upper layer displayed a random coil conformation. All the sericin films showed a highly ${\beta}$-sheet-crystallized state when cast in formic acid, regardless of the separation layer.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

Recently, sericin has attracted increasing attention in biomedical and cosmetic research because of its useful properties including acceleration of wound healing, improvement of cell attachment, and inhibition of ultraviolet-B induced apoptosis. However, sericin films have poor mechanical properties, which restricts the application to those fields. In this study, cellulose nanofibril (CNF)/sericin composite films were fabricated by solvent casting, and the effects of ultrasonication time and CNF content on the solution turbidity, molecular conformation, and film mechanical properties of sericin film were examined. As the ultrasonication time increased, the turbidity of the CNF/sericin suspension decreased. Conversely, as the CNF content increased, the turbidity increased. However, ${\beta}$-sheet crystallization and mechanical properties remained almost unchanged by varying the ultrasonication time and CNF content, indicating that CNF is not effective to improve the mechanical properties of sericin films.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2015

Recently, many researchers have studied silk sericin because of its high water retention, good wound healing, good cyto-compatibility, and blood-glucose- and cholesterol-lowering effects. Although sericin film can be used in wound dressing and cosmetic packs, its poor mechanical properties have prevented its use in industrial fields. In the present study, sericin was obtained from different silkworm varieties, and the effect of silkworm variety on the structure and properties of sericin was examined. Except for a small difference in serine content, no significant difference in sericin was noted among the silkworm varieties. In addition, silkworm variety almost had no effect on solution viscosity, implying that it does not influence the molecular weight of sericin. Mechanical properties of sericin film were strongly affected by silkworm variety. Wonwon 126 showed the best mechanical properties, while N74 and Geumgwangju displayed the worst properties.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2010

Sericin pulverization process was applied by freezing-thawing of sericin protein concentration solution and physicochemical properties of sericin/chitosan blended films were investigated. In sericin pulverization process by freezing-thawing method, the refrigeration storage at $4^{\circ}C$ maximized gelling between sericin molecules, which increased 10% of recovery ratio from sericin concentration solution that using ultrafiltration procedure. In physicochemical properties of sericin/chitosan blended films, the maximum load of chitosan (6.7kgf) had higher than that of sericin (1.2kgf), and the elongation of sericin and chitosan had 96% and 34%, respectively. Also FT-IR analysis of sericin/chitosan blended films showed that both sericin and chitosan films had amide I peak (N-H bond) in $1,521cm^{-1}$ and amide II peak (C=O bond) in $1,630cm^{-1}$. In addition, it could confirm compatibility between both materials as indicated by the decrease in the amide I peak's absorption value as chitosan content increases.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2008

Polar amino groups of the waste SS(silk-sericin) were modified by two isocyanate compounds of MOI[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl isocyanate] and AOI [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl isocyanate]. When the MOISS (MOI-modified silk sericin) or AOISS(AOI-modified silk sericin) was pressed hot, vinyl groups in the MOI or AOI were polymerized and then the flexible and transparent films were obtained. Tensile moduli and strengths of the MOISS films were significantly improved as the MOI contents increased. By the addition of the isocyanate compounds, silk sericin films exhibited lower solubility to the distilled water($80^{\circ}C$) and also lower swell ratio to the distilled water(room temperature). In the effect of tensile properties and restraining the water swelling, MOI was better than AOI. BOD(biochemical oxygen demand)/TOD(theoretical oxygen demand) of the pure sericin film was almost 100% perfect level after 10 days immersion into the activated sludge. With increasing isocyanate content reacted with polar amino groups, BOD/TOD decreased. When more than 50 mol% of polar amino groups remained unreacted, sericin films could retain more biodegradability. Comparing with MOI from the viewpoint of biodegradability, AOI was more effective.