• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제30권2호
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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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.63-71
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• 2023

In this study, the structural characteristics of sericin recovered from wastewater released from the silk textile industry (Plant sericin) were comparatively analyzed with those of sericin extracted from a silkworm cocoon produced in a laboratory (Lab sericin). To prepare Plant sericin, ethanol was added to wastewater (i.e., a sericin aqueous solution) after the degumming process to remove nonprotein materials, affording a sericin precipitate. To prepare Lab sericin, nonprotein materials were removed from a silkworm cocoon and sericin was subsequently extracted from the cocoon. Lab sericin and Plant sericin exhibited similar solution viscosities, gel strengths, and crystallinity indices, indicative of the similar molecular weights (MWs) of the two sericin samples. In the case of sericin powder, Plant sericin was more crystalline than Lab sericin due to its treatment with ethanol. The findings of this study revealed that sericin recovered from industrial wastewater can be used equally as its MW is similar to that of sericin obtained through laboratory-scale extraction.

• BMB Reports
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.236-241
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• 2008

The antioxidant potential of silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta cocoon has been assessed and compared with that of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. Skin fibroblast cell line (AH927) challenged with hydrogen peroxide served as the positive control for the experiment. Our results showed that the sericin obtained from tasar cocoons offers protection against oxidative stress and cell viability is restored to that of control on pre-incubation with the sericin. Fibroblasts pre-incubated with non-mulberry sericin had significantly lower levels of catalase; lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde activity when compared to untreated ones. This report indicates that the silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm, A. mylitta can serve as a valuable antioxidant.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제46권1호
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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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• 제42권1호
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• pp.7-13
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• 2021

In the present study, the effect of heat treatment on the crystallinity of the outside of silkworm cocoon in nine different silkworm varieties was studied using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Additionally, the morphological structure and moisture regain of the cocoon were examined. The silkworm cocoon showed different colors and external features depending on the silkworm variety. Moreover, the thickness of the filament (15.3-27.6 ㎛) and moisture regain of the cocoon (9.0%-11.0%) were quite different depending on the silkworm variety. The crystallinity index of the cocoon outside varied from 52.1% to 56.1%, depending on the silkworm variety. J300 and MO42 showed the highest (56.1%) and the lowest (52.1%) crystallinity index, respectively, indicating that the microstructure of sericin of the outside of the cocoon was affected by the silkworm variety. Regardless of silkworm variety, their crystallinity indexes decreased from 52.1%-56.1% to 49.9%-43.6% depending on the silkworm variety by the heat treatment at 250 ℃. Interestingly, the crystallinity degree decrease was somewhat different depending on the silkworm variety, implying that the cocoon sericin microstructure is strongly influenced by the silkworm variety.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.4-11
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• 2022

In this study, cocoons from different silkworm strains and rearing seasons were collected and immersed in water at elevated temperatures to investigate the effect of a wet treatment on their morphology and crystallinity. Untreated cocoons exhibited different crystallinities depending on the silkworm strain and rearing season; however, no distinct changes in their morphological structure were observed. Furthermore, after wet treatment, the differences in the crystallinities of cocoons disappeared. In addition, wet treatment of degummed silk (i.e., fibroin) did not change its crystallinity. These results indicate that different crystallinities of the untreated cocoons collected from various silkworm strains and rearing seasons are due to the different characteristics of sericin in the cocoons.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 1987

누에 이면교잡에 의해 F1세대의 견층 연감율, sericin량 및 fibroin량을 유전 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. Vr-Wr graph에서 자웅간의 견층 연감율은 모두 초우성이고, 자웅간의 sericin량과 fibroin량은 모두 불완전 우성이었다. 2. 각 형질에 대한 분산성분의 추정에서 자웅간의 sericin 량과 fibroin량 및 자의 연감율에서는 유전자의 상가적효과가 우성효과보다 큰 경향이었고, 웅의 연감율에서만 반응이 양상이었다. 3. 우성의 방향에 있어서는 자웅간의 sericin량과 fibroin량에서 모두 높은 방향으로, 자웅간의 연감율에서는 낮은 쪽이 우성이었다. 4. 조합능력은 3개 형질의 자웅 모두 유의적으로 작용하였고, 특정조합능력보다 일반조합능력이 크게 평가되었다.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

Silk sericin, a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is emerging as a multifunctional biomaterial in biomedicine, particularly in tissue engineering and wound healing. Recent studies have highlighted its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and potential for chemical modification, which allows it to be incorporated into various scaffold architectures. This review article synthesizes current research, including the development of sericin-based hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering and sericin's role in enhancing wound healing. Key findings demonstrate sericin's ability to refine scaffold porosity and mechanical strength, expedite tissue healing, and reduce bacterial load in wounds. The integration of sericin into novel bioactive dressings and its use in peripheral nerve injury repair are also discussed, showcasing its adaptability and efficacy. The convergence of these studies illustrates the broad applications of sericin, from scaffold design to clinical interventions, making it a promising material in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, with the potential to improve patient outcomes significantly.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제20권10호
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• pp.1525-1531
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• 2010

이상지질혈증 흰쥐에 있어서, 누에로부터 효소 처리하여 추출한 세리신의 섭취가 혈청 지질대사 개선효과 및 지질대사 이상 등에 관여하는 지질성분 및 효소의 활성 변동을 검토하기 위하여 이상지질혈증 Sprague Dawley계 흰쥐 수컷을 사용하여 본 실험을 행하였다. 기본식이만을 섭취한 대조군인 BW군을 비롯한 이상지질혈증 유발군(HCW군), 이상지질혈증 유도에 세리신을 급여시킨 군(HCS군)을 5주간 실험 사육하였다. 혈청 총 콜레스테롤, 동맥경화지수, LDL-콜레스테롤, 중성지방, 인지질, 유리 콜레스테롤 농도, 콜레스테롤 에스테르 비 및 혈당 농도 등은 실크 세리신을 급여시킨 군(HCS군)에서 농도가 감소되는 것으로 나타났다. 한편, HDL-콜레스테롤 및 총 콜레스테롤에 대한 HDL-콜레스테롤 비 등은 세리신 섭취(HCS군)에 의해서 증가되는 것으로 나타났다. 혈청 중 alkaline phosphatase (ALP) 및 aminotransferase (AST & ALT)의 활성은 이상지질혈증을 유도 시킨 후 실크 세리신을 섭취시킴으로써 효소 활성이 억제되는 것으로 나타났다. 이상과 같은 결과에서, 실크 세리신이 흰쥐의 혈청 지질대사 이상 등에서 오는 이상지질혈증의 예방 및 개선에 효과가 있을 것으로 생각된다.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.82-86
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• 2002

고온고압법으로 추출한 세리신을 동결건조한 후 가정용 믹서기, 볼밀, 울트라밀 등 을 사용하여 물리적으로 분쇄하여 제조한 세리신 분말의 구조 특성을 살펴보기 위하여 아미노산 조성 분석, 적외선 분광분석, X-선 회절분석, 열분석 등을 행한 결과 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1.물리적 방법으로 분쇄하여 제조한 세리신 분말의 수율은 60% 정도였으며 물에 대한 용해도는 50% 정도로 대조로 사용한 세리신 스폰지(98%)에 비하여 낮은 값을 나타내었다. 2. 물리적 분쇄조건에 따라 세리신 분말의 크기를 조절할 수 있었다. 3. 세리신 분말의 아미노산 조성을 분석한 결과 물리적 방법으로 분쇄하여 제조한 세리신 분말의 염기성 아미노산인 아르기닌의 함량이 대조(3.73)에 비하여 0.03∼0.07로 현저하게 낮은 값을 나타내었다. 4. X-선 회절 분석 결과 물리적 분쇄에 의하여 세리신 분자의 규칙성에 영향이 있는 것으로 나타났으나, 적외선 분광 특성이나 시차열특성에는 큰 영향을 미치지 못하였다.