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Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Biosciences (IJPAB)
Year : 2019, Volume : 7, Issue : 6
First page : (184) Last page : (191)
Article doi: : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.7862

Biochemical Composition and Commercial Characters of Eri Silkworm Reared on Castor Leaf Fortified with Botanicals

B. Sannappa*
Department of Studies in Sericulture Science, University of Mysore,
Manasagangotri, Mysuru – 570 006, India
*Corresponding Author E-mail: drbsannappa@gmail.com
Received: 11.10.2019  |  Revised: 17.11.2019   |  Accepted: 25.11.2019  

 ABSTRACT

An investigation has been conducted to know the influence of feeding castor (Local pink variety) leaf fortified with botanicals to record the commercial characters and biochemical composition (haemolymph, fat body and silk gland) in White-Plain strain of eri silkworm. The castor leaf was fortified with Tinospora cordifolia, Tribulus terrestris and Withania somnifera at 2, 4 and 6% concentrations and two controls namely Distilled water and Absolute control were included in the investigation for comparison. Results with respect to commercial characters revealed that, matured larval weight, cocoon weight and cocoon yield were significantly higher when the eri larvae fed on castor leaf fortified with Tribulus terrestris at 2% concentration followed by Tinospora cordifolia. Further, shell weight, shell yield, shell ratio and silk productivity were significantly superior with Tinospora cordifolia at 4% followed by Tribulus terrestris at 4%. Pupal weight showed superiority with Tinospora cordifolia at 2% followed by Tribulus terrestris at 2%, while fecundity was significantly more with Tribulus terrestris at 2% followed by Tinospora cordifolia at 6% concentration. In respect of biochemical composition of eri silkworm, total protein content in both haemolymph and fat body were significantly higher in the batch of worms fed on castor leaves fortified with Withania somnifera @ 4%, while with respect to silk gland, it was higher with Tribulus terrestris at 2% concentration. Carbohydrate content in haemolymph, fat body and silk gland tissues were significantly more with Tribulus terrestris at 2% concentration. However, majority of the commercial parameters and biomolecules in eri silkworm were inferior with Absolute control. The results of the study inferred that the fortification of castor leaf with Tribulus terrestris at 2% and Tinospora cordifolia at 4% concentration showed considerable improvement in commercial characters of eri silkworm.

Keywords: Biochemical composition, Botanicals, Commercial characters, Eri silkworm.

Full Text : PDF; Journal doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782

Cite this article: Sannappa, B. (2019). Biochemical Composition and Commercial Characters of Eri Silkworm Reared on Castor Leaf Fortified with Botanicals, Ind. J. Pure App. Biosci. 7(6), 184-191. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.7862