• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.315-322
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• 2005

In this study we report on the estrogen activity of silkworm pupa and herb extracts in vitro. The estrogenic activity of these resources was investigated by competition binding assays with estrogen receptor $\alpha(ER{\alpha})\;or\;ER{\beta}$, and viability of MCF-7 cells, a human breast cancer cell line. Saturation ligand-binding analysis of $ER{\alpha}\;and\;ER{\beta}$ revealed that all plant extracts competed with estrogen ligand for binding to both ER subtypes with a similar preference and degree and competed stronger with ligand for binding to $ER{\beta}\;than\;to\;ER{\alpha}$. The highest $ER{\alpha}-binding$ sample was silkworm pupa aqueous extract The highest $ER{\beta}-binding$ sample was silkworm pupa oil. These samples were further tested for bioactivity based on their ability to regulate cell growth rate in ER(+) breast cancer cell line, MCF-7 cells. Our studies showed that silkworm pupa, soritae, sesame, yam, pueraria, malt, ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, and Curcuma longa significantly stimulated the growth of MCF-7 cells (P<0.05). In summary, these results suggested that silkworm pupa and herbs might be useful as potential phytoestrogens.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate infection process, symptoms and main component of the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori. larvae and pupa infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps, Paecillomyces tenuipes. The Cordyceps, Paecillomyces tenuipes, was highly infectious to the silkworms. A pathogenicities of Cordyceps, Paecillomyces tenuipes, may be highly virulent because of the low resistance or high susceptibility of the silkworms. The silkworm larva infected with Cordyceps formed phialospores on the phialides at the imperfect stage of the genus Cordyceps, But silkworm pupa infected with Cordyceps formed ascospores in the asci at the perfection stage of the genus Cordyceps. The results of analysis of health silkworm pupa and silkworm pupa infected with Cordyceps were obtained that amino acid, fatty acid, and nucleoside were very different.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2012

Osteoporosis is characterized by the reduced density of mineralized bone matrix. The loss of bone has been attributed to an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. The silkmoth is one of the famous traditional tonic medicines. Silkworm pupa was evaluated for its antiosteoporotic activity in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. The rats were ovariectomized at 6weeks of age and divided into 7 groups. All the groups were fed without calcium diet. The OVX rats were treated with water and silkworm powder for 6 weeks. In OVX rats, the body weight, feeding and water intake quantity did not show a significant change, but the silkworm pupa powder immediately before the eclosion of Yeonrokjam was significantly increased the bone mineral density in the femoral bone. The silkworm pupa powder increased the bone with increasing calcium in serum. These results also showed its protective action through promotion of bone formation. The silkworm pupa powder has a definite antiosteoporotic effect; similar to estrogen, it is especially effective for the prevention of bone fracture induced by estrogen deficiency. The silkworm pupa powder is a promising anti-osteoporotic agent that can prevent bone fractures in osteoporotic patients. The silkworm pupa powder does not show serious side effects because natural herbal medicine origin.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2021

Silkworm pupa has been used as an edible insect with the high quality of protein and unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, antioxidant activities of pupa according to variety, pupation day, sex, and extraction solvent were analyzed. The 30% ethanol extract showed highest radical scavenging activity compared with the DW, hexane, and 70-100% ethanol extracts. In the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assay according to the type of pupa, the antioxidant effect was increased in female with the early stage of pupation day. In cell-based assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was decreased in pupa groups by -30 to -50% followed by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) treatment. The ROS levels were significantly reduced in 7^th day in each variety. In conclusion, the free radical and ROS scavenging effects were increased in female pupa with the early pupation day. The result could be used for development of bioactive materials using silkworm pupa.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.52-58
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• 2021

The article presents the results of the content of the chemical and biochemical composition of the pupa of the wild silkworm Saturnia pyri belonging to the family Saturniidae, species of Lepidoptera. The nutritional value of silkworm Saturnia pyri pupae was evaluated, which contained 51% dry matter, 52.50% crude protein, 27.89% fat, 10.50% chitin fibers, 2.5% ash and 27 macro- and microelements and 25 mg alpha tocopherols in 100 g oil. The X-ray fluorescence method was used to determine the content of mineral elements in the pupa of the silkworm Saturnia pyri. It was revealed that the pupa of this type of silkworm contains 25 elements, of which the relative amount of K, Mg, Na, Ca, Al is much higher than other elements.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.593-598
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• 2005

Osteoporosis is recognized as one of the major hormonal deficiency diseases, especially in menopausal women and the elderly. When the estrogen level is reduced in the body, local factors, which are known to be related with bone resorption, are increased and promote osteoclastogenesis. In our previous study, we validated the estrogenicity of silkworm pupa. In this study, we investigated the effect of silkworm pupa extract (SPE) on the function of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. SPE (10 and $50\;{\mu}g/mL$) significantly elevated cell viability, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and collagen content in the cells. The effect of SPE ($50\;{\mu}g/mL$) in increasing cell viability, ALP activity, and collagen content was completely inhibited by the presence of $10^{-6}\;M$ of cycloheximide and $10^{-6}\;M$ of tamoxifen, suggesting that SPE's effect results from a newly synthesized, protein component and that it might be partly involved in estrogen action. Furthermore, we examined the effect of SPE on the $H_2O_2-induced$ apoptosis and production of local factors in osteoblasts. Treatment with SPE ($50\;{\mu}g/mL$) decreased the 0.2 mM $H_2O_2-induced$ apoptosis and the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6 and nitric oxide (NO) in osteoblasts. Our data indicate that the enhancement of osteoblast function by silkworm pupa may prevent osteoporosis and inflammatory bone diseases.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.304-308
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• 2006

To extract insoluble proteins from silkworm pupa meal, the meal was treated with pretense produced by Bacillus sp. JH-209. The extraction of insoluble silkworm pupa protein was enhanced at alkaline pHs ranged from 7 to 11 by treatment with the protease. The optimum extraction temperature was $40^{\circ}C$ for in soluble protein treated with pretense. The optimum protease treatment time for extraction of protein was 11 hrs and optimum amount of enzyme treated for extraction of protein was 60 Unit, respectively. The treatment of enzyme extracted more protein than ordinary extraction method without pretense. The foaming capacity, foaming stability, emulsion capacity, and emulsion stability of silkworm pupa meal protein extracted by the treatment of the enzymes increased at all pH ranges. Further more oil absorption as well as water absorption capacities of the protein extracted by the treatment of the enzymes were also increased.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.75-77
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• 2010

Until now, the main treatment for impotence has been the vasodilator injection, penile implants and etc. Among many methods, most effective way is known to be the medical therapy. The oral drug for an impotence remedy has to be above all, effective to the erection, and second, safety when taking in long-term. However, so far the drug in such condition and sufficiency has not been discovered. Consequently, it is crucial to develop the new medicine, made of natural materials only, without any uncertainty of side effect. The silkworm is very difference in physiological chemical change according to growth stage. Therefore the functional effect shows a very big difference according to preparation method with a growth stage. This research carry out the experiment with the pupa powder immediately before the eclosion, eclosion adult, the pupa extract immediately before the eclosion, and the silkworm powder of 5 instar 3rd day. The result showed not a big chance in weight, feed and water intake quantity. But testosterone hormone secretion effects of the freeze drying powder of the pupa immediately before the eclosion was very high 7.31 ng/ml, compared to 2.37 ng/ml of non treatment and 2.67 ng/ml of alcohol extraction method. As this result, the freeze drying pupa powder of the pupa immediately before the eclosion was confirmed to promote the secretion of the testosterone hormone more than alcohol extraction method of existing.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.5
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• pp.25-38
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• 1965

I. Breeding of tussah silkworm(preliminary report). The preliminary examination for bleeding has been carried out since 1963 in tussah silkworms. 1) The strain(l-MG-B)of the heaviest silk quantity was the green silkworm and brown cocoon in univoltine, and the strains(2-G-B, 2-MG-B) of the heaviest silk quantity were also the green silkwom and brown cocoon in bivoltine in both spring and fall in 1965. 2) It looks like the voltinism, the body color and the cocoon color have reached to pure line up to 1965. II. Best place for the winter of tussah pupa. This work was aimed to find out good ways for the winter of tussah pupa. 1) The hatch of bivoltine was better than that of univoltine. 2) The cocoons covered with the leaves were good in the emergence of moth. 3) The cocoons which were kept at natural temperature till the first emergence of moths would show bad in both hatch and emergence. 4) If some of the pupae kept under natural condition were controled at proper temperature for a few days, hatch and laying eggs were best. 5) The best places for the winter were the egg storage and the rearing room. III. Relation between incubation temperature and voltinism. 1) When the tussah pupa are kept at natural temperature during winter, the moths do not come out of the pupa. 2) There is no difference between about 18$^{\circ}C$ and about 25$^{\circ}C$ during incubation in hatching ratio. 3) The tussah silkworms of univoltine in mortality are stronger than that of bivoltine. 4) There is not any relation between voltinism and high or low temperature for pupa and eggs. IV. Induced mutation by gamma-ray and neutron in tussah silkworm. This work was carried out in order to induce the mutation by treating the pupa or the eggs of tussah silkworm with gamma my and neutron. The results obtained are as follows. 1. Though the whole pupa treated with neutron become moths, the moths have no ability to copulate each other. The only moths emerged from pupa treated with neutron, 4000${\gamma}$ are able to lay all un-fertilized eggs, some of which have a hole on the surface and nothing of contents. 2. The non-diapause eggs are treated with neutron in spring, but the hatching ratio is 50∼60 percent, but the whole eggs treated with gamma ray are never hatched. 3. The sensitivity of the pupa to neutron is weaker than that of the eggs. 4. The hatching ratio is in direct proportion to the gamma ray dose. 5. Author find out a new mutant which is excellent in the cocoon quality, so he will do the progeny test next hear.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2009

Multiplication and spore production of three microsporidia(Nosema bombycis, Nosema sp. 1 and Nosema sp. 2) in selected tissues of pupa and adult of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were studied in two seasons (SI, SII) with distinct temperature (SI: $20.1{\pm}0.8^{\circ}C$ and SII: $25.1{\pm}0.7^{\circ}C$) regimes. Multiplication of the microsporidia followed a logistic pattern with a lag phase, an exponential phase and a stationary phase. In SII, spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in various tissues. Highest spore production was observed 30 days post inoculation (p.i.) in SI and in SII, it was $21{\sim}23$ days p.i. Spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the gut tissues than other tissues. Nosema sp. 2 registered significantly (P<0.01) higher spore production in both the seasons compared to Nosema bombycis and Nosema sp. 1. Results indicate that the multiplication and spore production of microsporidia are tissue specific and extremely sensitive to the temperature at which the host is reared. Through this study, the precise day that the spore numbers of the microsporidia are maximized can be predicted in both pupa and adult in case the infection is initiated in the first instar.