• 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.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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2021

Silkworms have traditionally been used to produce silk and textiles. However, steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP) contain large amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and essential minerals. In this study, we investigated the potential of SMSP as a hangover-relieving agent. Thirty individuals who met the selection criteria and exclusion criteria were included in the study and subsequently underwent a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-design human application test. Importantly, the test product containing SMSP (CKDHC) was proven to alleviate hangovers through a significant reduction in the plasma concentration of acetaldehyde in the context of an alcohol-induced hangover model. In particular, from 0.5 h after SMSP intake, the blood acetaldehyde concentration (mg/L), area under the time curve (AUC; indicating the degree of bioabsorption of blood acetaldehyde), and the highest blood acetaldehyde concentration (Cmax) were reduced. Altogether, these results suggest that the test product (CKDHC) exhibits an accelerated hangover-relieving effect.