• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.205-208
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• 2012

Antheraea pernyi silkworm is a well known wild silkworm to produce a valuable silk fiber. A. pernyi silkworm was reared in Korean oak field and examined the cocoon characteristics, such as cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and percentage of cocoon shell weight. Degumming loss was also measured after alkali degumming process. A. pernyi silkworm spins tawny color cocoon in oval shape. Cocoon shell weight of A. pernyi silkworm, 0.78 g, was heavier than that of B. mori silkworm, 0.51 to 0.63 g. Cocoon shell percentage of A. pernyi silkworm, 32.8%, was higher than that of B. mori silkworm, 23.4 to 25.2%. Degumming loss percentage of A. pernyi silkworm, 17.1%, was lower than that of B. mori silkworm, 25.0%. SEM showed that the surface of the cocoon filament was coarse and oriented with longitudinal direction.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2021

The silkworm cocoon has recently attracted the attention of researchers because of its usefulness as a biomedical material (e.g., usage in the development of the membrane for guided bone regeneration and usage as a starting material for the fabrication of natural silk nonwoven fabric). The silkworm variety and strain have been reported as one of the important factors affecting the structure and properties of silk materials. This study examines the morphology and the molecular conformation of the silkworm cocoon at different cocoon measurement points, as well as the effect of the silkworm strain and rearing season on the morphology and crystallinity of the silkworm cocoon. The results show that the morphology of the outside of the cocoon does not differ depending on the cocoon measurement points, but that of the inside does. The silkworm cocoon crystallinity is not affected by the cocoon division. Interestingly, the crystallinity of the outside of the Jam101 cocoon differs depending on the rearing season, whereas it does not in other silkworm strains.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.42 no.1
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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.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 1995

Traditional Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoon is tawny color. The white Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoons studied here by IR and UV are new breeds of recent breeding. We discovered that the main body of the first grade structure of silk protein in the new white is as same as the one in the traditional tawny Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoon, yet there are small quantities of cross-linked polymer of gentisic acid and silk protein in the white silkworm cocoons. In spite of the least surviving quantity of the polymer, the white silkworm cocoons are most white and its white color is similar to white Bombyx mori silkworm cocoon.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 2020

Silk has attracted the attention of numerous research groups because of its unique properties as a biomedical material. Recently, studies on the biomedical application of silk cocoon, such as membranes for guided bone regeneration, have been conducted. As a preliminary study on silkworm cocoons, the morphological structure and crystallinity of cocoon of nine silkworm varieties with different sides are examined in this study. The morphological structure of the silkworm cocoon is shown to be dependent on silkworm variety and the cocoon layer (i.e. outside or inside). It is also shown that the silk filaments of the out layer are more bent and twisted compared to those of the inner layer. Furthermore, the crystallinity of the outer surface of all silkworm cocoons is found to be higher than that of the inner surface, regardless of the silkworm variety. Lastly, it is shown that the crystallinity index of the cocoon depends on the silkworm variety, implying that the structure of the cocoon varies with silkworm variety.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 1997

Ultraviolet weavelength (UV) of 366 nm produced clearer fluorescent dolor than that of 254 nm for the inspection of silkworm cocoons. Fluorescent color of silkworm cocoons varied in color, appears no relationship with the natural color under the normal light. Uniformity of fluorescent color was improved by selection of blue or yellow line from wild types. Blue and yellow, located at the opposite poles on the color solid and L*a*b* color system, confirmed as pure standard of fluorescent color in the silkworm races for commercial white cocoons. the cocoons with blue fluorescence occupied as high as 1.7 to 8.6 times than those with yellow in the Japanese silkworm races. Fluorescence of silkworm cocoon was not affected by forced flow dry at 70$^{\circ}C$ for 6 hrs. While the Japanese races revealed no sexual difference in fluorescent color, sex-dependence of the color was common in the Chinese races for commercial white cocoon. The fluorescence of cocoon shell of Chinese races showed clear separation of blue of median color. Silkworm strain of Dc20 and Fc24 were sexualy segregated 98.8${\pm}$1.20%, 99.0${\pm}$1.00% by cocoon fluorescence, as that of 99.3${\pm}$0.44% by typical larval marking of sex-limited inheritance. Specific expression of cocoon fluorescence, applicable to breeding of simple discrimination of sex for Chinese races, inspected thoroughly on the surface and inner layer of cocoon shell.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2019

Bombyx mori silkworm has many silkworm varieties and the structure and properties of silk can be varied depending on the silkworm variety. Therefore, the choice of proper silkworm variety can be an effective way to control and improve the performance of silk materials in biomedical and cosmetic applications. As a preliminary study, in the present study, thirty nine Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons were prepared and their molecular conformation and crystallinity were examined. Molecular conformation and the crystallinity of silkworm cocoons were different depending on the silkworm variety. Interestingly, the crystallinity index of outside of cocoon was different from that of inside of cocoon and the difference between the crystallinities of outside and inside of cocoon was varied depending on the silkworm variety. In this study, the silkworm variety cocoons were classified into three groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3) based on the difference of crystallinities between outside and inside.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2017

Dissolution of Antheraea yamamai silkworm cocoon was carried out in various solvent systems with various dissolving conditions including dissolution salts, salt concentration, dissolving temperature, and time. General chaotropic salt for Bombyx mori silk fibroin does not work for A. yamamai silkworm cocoon. Lithium bromide 9.3 M at $100^{\circ}C$ also does not work to dissolve wild silkworm cocoon. However, 9 M of lithium thiocyanate treatment at $100^{\circ}C$ induced 100% dissolution of wild silkworm cocoon. But it could not be dissolved lower than $60^{\circ}C$. Like lithium thiocyanate, less than $60^{\circ}C$ treatment with molten calcium nitrate 4 hydrate could not dissolve wild silkworm cocoon. As the dissolution temperature increased up to $100^{\circ}C$, the solubility of wild one was reached over 90%. SDS-PAGE showed broad tailing stream pattern that means the molecule of wild silk was depolymerized with dissolution temperature and time. From the above results, the best chaotropic salt for A.yamamai silkworm cocoon is calcium nitrate 4 hydrate.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.135-139
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• 2002

By means of correlation analysis and path coefficient analysis, 18 characteristics of 325 conserved silkworm races were studied for the selecting efficiency on main silk quality characteristics. The result showed that selecting lines with heavier cocoon weight are beneficial to raise the weight of have. Choosing strains with higher cocoon shell percentage, longer filament length and better reelability percentage is good for increasing non-broken filament length. Selecting lines with medium daily weight of have produced in the fifth instar, medium cocoon shell percentage and simultaneously selecting heavier cocoon shell weight are favorable to promote reelability percentage. Choosing strains with heavier cocoon weight, higher cocoon shell percentage, heavier daily weight of bave produced in the fifth instar and heavier weight of bave but shorter filament length may hopefully breed out a race with thick filament size. And selecting strains with heavier weight of have and fine filament size are beneficial to increase filament length. Selecting lines with higher cocoon shell percentage and heavier weight of bave are favorable to raise raw silk percentage of cocoon. There are no significant direct or indirect correlation coefficient between viability and major characteristics of silk quality. It is, therefore, feasible to breed a silkworm race with excellent vitality and good silk quality as well.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2001

Data from an experiment involving six polyvoltine and three bivoltine silkworm breeds have been analysed to know the level of hybrid rigour and cocoon shape variation in Fl hybrids among silkworm breeds with lows medium and high cocoon weight. Results indicated significantly positive heterosis for several quantitative characters with maximum total heterosis over mid parent value in hybrids between low and medium followed by low and low, medium and medium, low and high and high and low cocoon-weighed breeds, respectively. Study on cocoon shape measurement revelled that among Fl hybrids, cocoons of the three combinations such as GNP ${\times}$ CSR2, GNP ${\times}$ J2 and PM ${\times}$ NB4 D2 were comparatively uniform in their cocoon shape. Importance of this study to know the level of heterosis and cocoon shape variability in different silkworm crosses hale been discussed.