• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.203-208
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• 2003

Rearing temperature influences food consumption, conversion and cocoon production in silkworm Bombyx mori L. Young age $({1^st}to{3^rd} instar)$ worms of Pure Mysore, a multivoltine were reared at 26, 28, 30 and $32^{\circ}C$ followed by combinations of these temperature levels during late age $({4^th} and {5^th} instar)$. Food consumption, conversion, larval duration and growth for each instar were recorded. The influence of combinations of these temperature levels during rearing on survival and cocoon production was assessed. Food consumption increased with the temperature up to $4^th$ instar and decreased during $5^th$ instar. Temperature beyond $28^{\circ}C$ during young age followed by higher temperature ($30^{\circ}C$ and above) has shown deleterious effect on cocoon production. The paper discusses the rearing performance in relation to food intake and conversion under the tested temperature levels.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2007

The Hsp 20.8 and Hsp 90 cDNA sequence retrieved from NCBI database and consists of 764 bp and 2582 bp lengths respectively. The corresponding cDNA homologus sequences were BLAST searched in Bombyx mori genomic DNA database and two genomic contigs viz., BAAB01120347 and AADK01011786 showed maximum homology. In B. mori Hsp 20.8 and Hsp 90 is encoded by single gene without intron. Specific primers were used to amplify the Hsp 20.8 gene and Hsp 90 variable region from genomic DNA by using the PCR. Obtained products were 216 bp in Hsp 20.8 and 437 bp in Hsp 90. There was no variation found in the six silkworm races PCR products size of contrasting response to thermal tolerance. The comparison of the sequenced nucleotide variations through multiple sequence alignment analysis of Hsp 90 variable region products of three races not showed any differences respect to their thermotolerance and formed the clusters among the voltinism. The comparison of aminoacid sequences of B. mori Hsps with dipteran and other insect taxa revealed high percentage of identity growing with phylogenetic relatedness of species. The conserved domains of B. mori Hsps predicted, in which the Hsp 20.8 possesses ${\alpha}-crystallin$ domain and Hsp 90 holds HATPase and Hsp 90 domains.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.96-104
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• 1997

A silkworm Bombyx mori genomic DNA library was constructed from polyphagous J111 strain and unpolyphagous $C_3$ strain to develop the genomic study by DNA makers. Genomic DNAs of two strains were digested with restriction enzyme EcoRI and ligated into pUC18. The ligated plasmids were transferred into E. coli host strain DH5$\alpha$. When the genomic DNAs were hybridized with insert DNAs from transformant, could be categorized from hybridization patterns to three groups as high repetitive sequence, moderately repetitive sequence, and low-copy number sequences. A total of 219 clones containing single or low-copy number sequence inserts were examined for any polymorphisms between two strains of J111 and $C_3$. Forty six clones showed RFLPs and 10 of these clones were used as a probe of analysis of $F_2$ population derived from crossing between J111 and $C_3$ strain. The genetic inheritance tested with each clones will be important tools to construct the genetic map of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 1995

The effects of oral application of fenoxycarb, the commercial formulation Insegar, to the selected developmental stages of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was investigated. An oral application of the chemical to the silkworm from the 2nd- to the 5th-instar larvae delayed the larval development upto more than 40 days and increased the larval body weight in the range of 1.1 to 1.7 folds. When the chemical was orally applied to the final instar larvae, spinning and pupation were prevented, and consequently permanent larvae occurred. The weight of a cocoon and its shell of silkworm(bombyx, mori, L) increased following the application of fenoxycarb to the 2nd- and the 3rd-instar larvae.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effects of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) powder (SWP) on oxygen radicals and their scavenger enzymes in liver membranes of rats. Sprague-Dawley(SD) male rats(160$\pm$10g) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets(SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups) added 200 and 400 mg/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. Hydroxyl radical (.OH) levels resulted in a consistent decreases (4.0% and 7.2%, 5.0% and 14.1%, respectively) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-200 SWP-400 groups compared with control group, and O2 radical level was significantly decreased about 12% in liver cytosol of SWP-400 group compared with control group. Lipid peroxide(LPO) levels were significantly decreased (14.4% and 9.1%, respectively) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-400 group only compared with control group. Oxidized protein (OP) levels were remarkably decreased about 12.7% and 16.3% in liver microsomes only of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups, but significant difference between liver mitochondria could not obtained. Mn-SOD activities were remarkably increased (15.8% and 25.2%, respectively) in mitochondria of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups, but significant difference between Cu, Zn-SOD activities in these group could be not obtained. GSHPx activity was significantly increased in liver cytosol of SWP-400 group compared with control group. These results suggest that silkworm powder may play an effective role in a attenuating a oxidative stress and increasing a scavenger enzyme activity in liver membranes.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.129-138
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• 1999

This study was carried out with two types of silkworm, Bombyx mori, adults having different life span: long life span (adult living for more than fifteen days; LLS), and short life span (adult living less for than five days; SLS). The fine structures of fat body cells in the young and the senescent males and females were compared in an attempt to elucidate the aging physiology of the silkworm adult. In SLS, there were many rough endoplasmic reticula (RER) and glycogen granules in the female cytoplasm, whereas the smooth endoplasmic reticula (SER) were observed in the male cytoplasm. Also in SLS, the mitochondria were swollen and had many poor osmiophillic inclusions (fatty degeneration) at three days after emergence. In LLS, compared to SLS, comparatively normal mitochondria and nuclear membrane were observed in even five day old female. In fifteen day old LLS female, however most of cell membranes were disappeared and mitochondria were abnormally expanded. Many fat granules were observed in the cytoplasm of ten day old male (LLS) which died with full autophagic vacuole (AV) collapsed at fifteen days. Therefore, it is suggested that SLS type is recommended for the study of aging tissue, because it is easier to monitor the changes in tissue structure.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2015

The tropical climate prevailing in India adversely affects temperate bivoltine silkworm rearing and causes crop loss especially during summer. Identification of high temperature tolerant bivoltine breeds by screening for thermotolerance in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is an essential prerequisite for the development of thermotolerant bivoltine breeds / hybrids. Therefore, in this study, 20 silkworm breeds were reared at different temperatures (25 ± 1℃,32 ± 1℃, 34 ± 1℃ and 36 ± 1℃) for 6 h every day from 3^rd d of 5^th instar to till spinning. Significant differences (p < 0.01) were found among all the rearing traits over temperature. Based on pupation percentage, SK4C and BHR3 were identified as thermotolerant bivoltine breeds. Hierarchical clustering analysis based on rearing traits at tested temperatures grouped 20 silkworm breeds in four clusters which included one cluster each of susceptible and tolerant, and two clusters of moderately tolerant silkworm breeds. This suggests that clustering based on rearing data at high temperatures by using Euclidean distance can be an effective approach in classifying the silkworm breeds on their thermotolerance capacity. The identified breeds would be used for development of thermo tolerant bivoltine silkworm breeds / hybrids.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.272-278
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• 2019

The silkworm performs sexual reproduction for the production of its healthy offsprings from generations to generations. Parthenogenesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori acquires immense use in the development of outstanding homozygouse lines with higher viability, hybrid vigour, combining ability and less phenotypic variability, and it can serve as a powerful tool in controlling sex of the offsprings as well as a useful tool in selection of breeding schemes. However, naturally occuring parthenogenesis in silkworm could not be found so far. Fortunately, artificial induction of parthenogenesis is possible in silkworm. So, it is very important to find out novel methods for induction of parthenogenesis. We investigated to attempt to get a novel parthenogenetic method. Accordingly, parthenogenetic studies on between unfertilized in vivo ovarian eggs of live silkworm moth(novel) and unfertilized in vitro ovarian eggs(conventional) taken out from live silkworm moth were investigated by hot water ($46^{\circ}C$), hot air ($46^{\circ}C$) and low temperature ($0^{\circ}C$ and $-20^{\circ}C$) treatments. The best ratio of parthenogenetic eggs was obtained with in vivo ovarian eggs of live silkworm moth rather than with in vitro ovarian eggs taken out from live silkworm moth in all the treatments. The optimum exposure time absolutely depended upon the temperatures of treatments and the forms of in vivo or in vitro ovarian eggs. From these results, we expect that in vivo artificial parthenogenetic treatments on live silkworm moth will be useful for the higher induction of parthenogenesis in the silkworm, B. mori.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2002

Flacherie symptom was found in the fifth instar larvae of silkworm, Bombyx mori. The bacterial pathogen was isolated from the hemolymph of the infected silkworm and identified. The isolated bacteria caused a significant flacherie pathogenicity to the fifth instar larvae of B. mori when $5{\times}10^{6}$ cfu (colony-forming unit) of the bacteria was injected into each larva. The infected larvae began to die at 6 days after injection and resulted in complete mortality at 10 days. The bacterium was identified as Staphylococcus gallinarum based on the morphological and physiological characteristics described in Bergey's manual. This identification was further supported by the characters of carbohydrate utility analyzed from a bacterial identification system ($MicroLog^{\circledR}$) and also by the molecular structure of 165-23S rDNA internal transcribed spaces. As an insecticidal action, S. gallinarum caused hemolymph septicemia by its cytotoxic effect on the hemocytes of B. mori.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2007

Ethanol extract of 20 botanicals in 3 concentrations i.e., 2.5%, 5% and 10% were evaluated for their efficacy to improve reproductive performance of mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mod L.) through feeding botanical enriched mulberry leaves during $2^{nd}$ day of $4^{th}$ age as well as $1^{st}$ and $3^{rd}$ day of $5^{th}$ age larvae. The preliminary screening was done by ranking the botanicals based on influence in most important reproductive contributing parameters such as single cocoon weight, effective rate of rearing, pupation rate, fecundity and recovery of eggs/kg cocoon. Five botanicals viz., Asparagus recemosus, Achyranthes aspera, Tribulus terrestris, Withania somnifera, Parthenium histerophorus ranked first were further evaluated at 8% 5% and 3% concentrations to confirm their effectiveness and standardize effective concentration. Among the rearing parameters, mature larval weight, shell ratio and number of cocoons/kg were not significantly influenced by the treatments. However, reproductive parameters such as effective rate of rearing (wt), pupation rate (%), fecundity (No.) and egg recovery (g)/kg cocoon were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the botanicals. Higher fecundity and egg recovery were obtained on treatment with Withania somnifera irrespective of concentrations. However at 5% concentration, pupation rate, fecundity as well as egg recovery were found significantly higher than that of other concentrations, confirming its effectiveness for improving reproductive efficiency.