This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a powder of steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworms (SMSP), Bombyx mori, on hair growth/loss in vivo in C3H mice. Topically applied SMSP for at least 10 days or longer showed potent hair growth promoting activity. SMSP-treated mice showed increase in hair weight significantly compared with control mice which were not treated with SMSP. Orally administered SMSP also showed hair growth promoting activity, which was lower than that when applied topically. In conclusion, SMSP was identified as a potential candidate for a novel hair-loss preventing and/or hair-growth promoting agent, which shortened the telogen phase to advance the following anagen phase in C3H mice in vivo when SMSP was applied topically for at least 10 days or longer.

To verify the progenitor of B. mori, we sequenced 14 B. mori strains preserved in Korea and one B. mandarina collected in Korea and conducted phylogenetic analysis of Bombycidae using maximum-likelihood method and concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and 2 rRNA genes. All B. mori strains, regardless of their origin, formed a strong monophyletic group, with the highest nodal support. This B. mori group was placed as the sister to the two B. mandarina collected each from Korea and Shandong, China with the highest nodal support. Finally, the remaining two B. mandarina, which were collected in Japan were independently placed as the most basal lineage of B. mori and B. mandarina group. These results appear to indicate that an immediate ancestor for the domestic silkworm strains may have been originated from China and Korea.

Mature silkworm of Bombyx mori is known to contain various functional materials. However, it is too hard to chew or digest for humans when it is cooked or lyophilized. In Korea, the Rural Development Administration recently developed and patented a method for making mature silkworms edible. In this study, therefore, we examined the effects of a larval powder of steamed mature silkworm (SMSP) on skin pigmentation and melanogenesis. For elucidating the depigmenting activity, lightness of a designated site on the murine dorsal skin was measured in vivo. During the experiment, hyperpigmentation was induced on the skin by cumulative exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. At the end of the experiment, melanin production on the skin was visualized by Fontana-Masson staining. Orally administered SMSP of pistachio cocoon strain for at least a month or longer significantly and reduced abnormal pigmentation caused by UVB on the murine dorsal skin. SMSP also showed a potential anti-melanogenic efficacy in modulating UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. Taken together, SMSP was identified as a potential candidate for a novel anti-melanogenic agent, which showed depigmenting efficacy against UVB-induced hyperpigmentation in vivo when administered orally.

The mature silkworms of Bombyx mori L. have recently been regarded as a potential health supplement due to gaining their edibility for humans via a newly-developed steaming method by the Rural Development Administration in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a larval powder of steamed mature silkworms (SMSP) on hair growth/loss in vivo in mice. Topically applied SMSP showed potent hair growth promoting activity. SMSP-treated mice showed increase in hair weight significantly compared with control mice which were not treated with SMSP. Orally administered SMSP also showed hair growth promoting activity, which was lower than that when applied topically. By elucidating the hair loss preventing activity of SMSP, this study will be helpful to increase incomes for sericultural farm households in Korea.

The mulberry for production of mulberry fruit, found the damage and quantity according to the level of damage by the A. mori, and through regression analysis, we set up a economic injury level. The level of damage by A. mori was to be artificially adjusted, for 2 percent, 5%, 8 percent, and 11 percent of leaf damage. Investigate, From May 31 to June 14, they compared the damage to each damage level and the growth and development and quantity. The survey found that the more damage level, the more severe the damage. The ratio of damage fruit was 5.1 percent, 11 percent, 13.2 percent, 23.9 percent, respectively. And the quantity was reduced by about 33% from 11 percent to 2,387 g/tree compared to the 2 percent to 3,557 g/tree. There's no difference in the damage caused by the sclerotium disease, and the growth and development, such as the length of the tree, the length of the branches, and the thickness of branches. The relationship between the damage level and the ratio of damage fruit was able to obtain relations with the linear regression, Y = 2.129552 X +0.569663(R2 = 0.98). It's the result of an analysis, which analyzed the damage level's relationship with the ratio of damage fruit have a high correlation rate. Therefore, It’s about the ratio of the quantity losses is 5 percent, the ratio of damage leaf is 2.08 percent. If the ratio of damage leaf is more than 2.08 percent, the damage will be required the control. It is judged.

Silkworms, Bombyx mori L., have been traditionally used as an oriental medicine to manage diverse pathological conditions including dermatological problems in East Asia, in addition to the use of their cocoons for making fabrics. The “mature” silkworms of B. mori have recently been regarded as a potential health supplement due to gaining their edibility for humans by a newly-developed steaming method. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of a larval powder of steamed mature silkworms (SMSP) on skin pigmentation and melanogenesis. Orally administered SMSP of pistachio cocoon strain significantly and reduced abnormal pigmentation caused by ultraviolet B on the murine dorsal skin. SMSP also showed a potential anti-melanogenic efficacy in modulating UVB-induced melanogenesis.

The mature silkworms of Bombyx mori L. have recently been regarded as a potential health supplement due to gainingtheir edibility for humans by a newly-developed steaming method. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate theeffects of steamed and lyophilized mature silkworm powder (SMSP) on skin pigmentation and melanogenesis. Orally administeredSMSP significantly and dose-dependently reduced abnormal pigmentation caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) on the murinedorsal skin. SMSP also showed a potential anti-melanogenic efficacy in modulating UVB-induced melanogenesis. Takentogether, SMSP was identified as a potential candidate for a novel anti-melanogenic agent, which showed hypo-pigmentingefficacy against UVB-induced melanogenesis in vivo when administered orally.

Serine proteases and serine protease homologs are involved in the prophenoloxidase (proPO)-activating system leadingto melanization.The Bombyx mori serine protease homolog BmSPH-1 regulates nodule melanization. Here, we show the dualrole of BmSPH-1 in the development and immunity of B. mori. BmSPH-1 was expressed in hemocytes after molting andduring the larval-pupal transformation in normal development. In contrast, following infection, BmSPH-1 was expressed inhemocytes and activated in the hemolymph, which resulted in the induction of PO activity. Moreover, BmSPH-1 was activatedin the cuticle during the larval-pupal transformation and early pupal stages. In BmSPH-1 RNAi-treated silkworms, the reducedBmSPH-1 mRNA levels during the spinning stage or the prepupal stage resulted in the arrest of pupation or pupal cuticularmelanization, respectively. The binding assays revealed that BmSPH-1 interacts with B. mori immulectin, proPO, andproPO-activating enzyme. Our findings demonstrate that BmSPH-1 is responsible for the larval-pupal transformation, pupalcuticular melanization and innate immunity of silkworms, illustrating the dual role of BmSPH-1 in development and immunity.

Viral particles of Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) consist of a four structural proteins. Among them Spikeprotein mediated responsible for receptor binding and membrane fusion during viral infection and therefore the main targetof neutralizing antibodies. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are consisted of one or more viral structural proteins, and theirmorphologies closely resemble those of the native virus. VLPs have no virulence and can elicit robust immune responsesas compared with inactivated or live-attenuated virus vaccines. Thus, in this study, we tried two methods for VLP constructionin Bombyx mori, one is traditional method and the other is chimeric VLP method using the influenza matrix protein.Both methods could produce successfully PEDV VLPs.

Insect immulectins are involved in various aspects of the innate immunity, including encapsulation, melanization, and phagocytosis. Although the silkworm Bombyx mori immulectin (BmIML) has been reported previously, the ligand and functions of BmIML have not been investigated. Here, we show the dual roles of BmIML in cuticular melanization and immunity of B. mori. BmIML recognizes carbohydrates in a Ca2+-dependent manner and binds to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and yeast. BmIML was expressed in the fat body during infections and localized to the hemocytes of silkworms. Additionally, BmIML was expressed in the epidermis during the prepupal stage and localized to the cuticle of silkworms. After treatment with E. coli, dopa, dopamine, or tyrosine injections, BmIML production was induced in the fat body but not in the epidermis of silkworms. Treatment with BmIML RNAi resulted in the arrest of pupal cuticular melanization. Therefore, we concluded that BmIML is involved in pupal cuticular melanization and innate immunity responses of silkworms, suggesting dual roles for BmIML.

In insects, serine proteases are involved in a variety of physiological processes including digestion, development, and immunity. Bombyx mori serine protease homolog BmSPH-1 regulates nodule melanization and is recruited into nodules from the hemolymph by B. mori lipopolysaccharide-binding protein. Here, we show the dual role of BmSPH-1 in development and immunity of B. mori. BmSPH-1 was expressed in the hemocytes during larval-pupal transformation and localized to the cuticle of silkworms, which indicates that BmSPH-1 is secreted from hemocytes and then transported to the cuticle via the hemolymph. BmSPH-1 was proteolytically activated in the cuticle during larval-pupal transformation and the early pupal stage. BmSPH-1 RNAi resulted in the arrest of larval-pupal transformation and pupal cuticular melanization. Furthermore, the expression of BmSPH-1 was up-regulated in the hemocytes during infection. Taken together, we found that BmSPH-1 is involved in larval-pupal transformation and pupal cuticular melanization as well as the innate immunity of silkworms, which indicates that BmSPH-1 is responsible for either development or immunity.

In contrast to the silkworms in 3 days of the 5th instar larval stage, the mature silkworms of Bombyx mori L. have enlarged silk glands containing various functional materials. However, they are too hard to chew or digest for humans when they are cooked or lyophilized. The mature silkworms have recently been regarded as a potential health supplement due to gaining their edibility for humans by a newly-developed steaming method in the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Korea. Therefore, the present study was performed to examine the skin care activity, one of the potential biological activities of the steamed mature silkworms for humans, which will be helpful to increase incomes for sericultural farm households in Korea (This work was supported by the RDA grant, PJ010828022017.).

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a representative inflammation-associated cancer and known to be the most frequent tumor. However, the preventive agents for hepatocarcinogenesis are unsatisfactorily identified. We investigated the protective effect of steamed and freeze-dried mature silkworm larval powder (SMSP) on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and compared the effect of three silkworm varieties: white-jade, golden-silk, and light-green strains. The mice were fed with diet containing 0.1, 1, and 10 g/kg of three types of SMSP for two weeks while DEN (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected 18 h before the end of this experiment. Liver toxicity was determined as serum indicator, histopathological examination, and expression of inflammatory enzyme. Pretreatment with SMSP reduced necrotic and histopathological changes induced by DEN in the liver. The measurement of serum biochemical indicators showed that pretreatment with SMSP also decreased DEN-induced hepatotoxicity, the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). In addition, SMSP inhibited the expressions of inflammatory enzymes, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase. White-jade SMSP showed the most effective hepatoprotective results against hepatotoxicity among the three silkworm strains used in this study. SMSP may have a protective effect against acute liver injury by inhibiting necrosis and inflammatory response in DEN-treated mice.

식용곤충은 대체 식량자원으로 관심이 증가되고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 누에나방 번데기 분말 섭취 유무에 따른 저항성운동 훈련(등장성 수축)이 ICR 마우스의 근육량 증가에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다. 이를 위하여 ICR 마우스 28마리를 대조군(CON), 저항성운동 훈련군(EX), 누에나방 번데기 분말 섭취군(SP), 누에나방 번데기분말 섭취 저항성운동 훈련군(SPEX)으로 그룹 당 각각 7마리씩 분류하였다. 체중증가율은 EX와 SPEX가 CON과 SP에 비해 유의하게 억제되었다. 혈중 총 단백질 농도는 SPEX가 다른 그룹에 비하여 가장 높았다. 알부민 농도 변화는 운동훈련 병행 시에만 증가하였다. 혈액 GOT와 GPT 수준은 유의차가 없었다. Akt와 Gsk-3β의 단백질 발현의 유의차는 없었다. 그러나 번데 기 분말 섭취 시 Akt 증가 및 Gsk-3β의 감소 경향이 나타났다. 비복근 근육 양은 저항성 운동 훈련을 하였을 때만 증가하였다. 그리고 또한, 번데 기 분말 섭취 시 근육량은 유의차가 없었으나 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 이러한 결과는 저항성 운동훈련과 누에나방 번데기 분말 섭취는 간독성을 유발하지 않고 근육량을 증가시킬 수 있다는 점을 시사한다. 그러나 보다 상세한 결과를 제시하기 위해 부가적인 연구가 필요할 것이다.

Insect cuticular melanization is regulated by the prophenoloxidase (proPO)-activating system, which is a component of innate immunity. However, the differentiation between cuticular melanization and innate immunity is not well defined. Here, we demonstrate that the proPO-activating system regulates cuticular melanization in the silkworm pupae using a different mechanism. Our results indicate that the differential and spatial regulation of key components, such as the proPO-activating factor, tyrosine hydroxylase, proPOs, and immulectin, primes the proPO-activating system for either cuticular melanization or innate immunity. This dual strategy for cuticular melanization in development and innate immunity upon infection demonstrates a two-pronged defense mechanism mediated by the priming of the proPO system.

곤충(초파리, 모기, 누에)은 해충방제, 유용물질생산, 의학연구 등을 위해 유전자변형 곤충으로 개발되어 왔지만, 아직까지 국내에서 유전자변형 곤충에 대한 환경위해성 평가 등이 거의 실시 되지 못하고 있다. 따라서, 본 연구에서 유전자변형 누에의 환경위해성 평가를 3가지 항목(이동성, 생존능력, 산란 및 부화율)으로 진행하였다. 첫째, 기본 사육 절차에서의 탈출가능성(이동성), 둘째, 사육환경으로부터 탈출시 생존 가능성(8개의 극한 환경조건; 고온, 저온, 건조, 습함, 먹이의 유무), 셋째, 비유전자변형 누에♀ x 비유전자변형 누에♂, 비유전자변형 누에♀ x 유전자변형 누에♂, 유전자변형 누에♀ x 비유전자변형 누에♂, 유전자변형 누에♀ x 유전자변형 누에♂으로부터 나온 산란 및 부화율을 비교 하였다. 유전자변형 누에와 비유전자변형 누에의 이동성은 통계적으로 차이가 없었으며, 산란 및 부화율 또한 통계적 차이가 없었다. 다만, 비유전자변형 암수쌍에서 산란된 알의 부화율보다 유전자변형 누에♀ 와 비유전자변형 누에♂에서 산란된 알의 부화율이 통계적으로 낮은 결과를 보였다. 극한환경에서의 생존율 실험에서 상대적으로 유전자변형 누에가 비유전자변형 누에보다 생존율이 낮았으며, 특히 고온조건의 환경에서 통계적으로 생존율이 낮은 결과를 보였다. 저온 조건의 경우 누에 유충의 동면으로 인해 실험결과를 명확하게 얻을 수 없었다. 유전자변형 누에와 비유전자변형 누에가 일부의 차이를 보였으나 모든 실험에서 유전자변형 누에의 값이 비유전자변형 누에보다 낮게 나타났으며, 결과적으로 이번 연구에서는 유전자변형 누에의 위해성은 비유전자변형 누에보다 적었다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effects of Mori cortex radicis powder and to determine the optimal composite recipe by testing different amount of Mori cortex radicis powder and sugar in cookies prepared with Mori cortex radicis powder. In regard to its antioxident effects, Mori cortex radicis powder had a total phenolic content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 149.56 mg GAE/g and 137.77 μg/mL, respectively. The response surface methodology was used to obtain ten experimental points (including two replicates for Mori cortex radicis powder and sugar) and Mori cortex radicis cookie formulation was optimized using rheology. The results of the sensory evaluation produced significant values for color (p<0.05), texture (p<0.05), sweetness (p<0.01) and overall quality (p<0.05), and the results of instrumental analysis showed significant values in sweetness (p<0.001), redness (p<0.01) and spread ratio (p<0.5). As a result, the optimum formulations obtained by numerical and graphical methods were found to be 16.84 g of Mori cortex radicis powder and 64.42 g of sugar.

Silkworm transgenesis is now a routine method leading to a satisfactory yield of transformed animals and the reliable expression of transgenes during multiple successive generations. However, the screening of G1 transgenic individuals from numerous progeny has proved to be difficult and time-consuming work. Previously, we characterized the promoter of heat shock protein 70 from Bombyx mori (bHsp70), which is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and developmental stages. To investigate the utilization of the bHsp70 promoter to screen transgenic individuals, the EGFP marker gene was inserted into the piggyBac vector under the control of the bHsp70 promoter. Mixtures of the donor and helper vectors were micro-injected into 3,060 eggs of bivoltine silkworms (Keomokjam). EGFP fluorescence was observed in 17 broods of transgenic silkworms under a florescence stereomicroscope. Interestingly, this fluorescent marker protein was detected not only in parts of the embryo segments on the seventh day of the G1 embryonic developmental stage but it was also detected in a part of the body of G1 hatched larvae, in the middle silk gland of G1 fifth instar larvae, and in the wings of seven-day-old G1 pupae and G1 moths. Therefore, we suggest that the bHsp70 promoter can be used for the rapid and simple screening of transgenic silkworms.