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The sericultural productivity could be effectively modulated by enriching the silkworm diet with
exogenous protein-rich nutrients like the Amway nutrilite. The minimum effective dose (MED) of
nutrilite that promotes optimal larval growth, activates metabolism and improves silk production in
Bombyx mori has been determined, by a step- down process starting from higher dose (5%) to a
lower dose (1%) together with a parallel zero-dose control. The MED for larval growth was
determined by analyzing changes in the body weight and that of metabolism and silk production by
assaying protein levels of the silk gland, fat body and haemolymph. The findings were meaningfully
interpreted in terms of compound periodical growth rates. The study demonstrated that the MED of
nutrilite differs from tissue to tissue. Nutrilite at 1% dosage level (1 g in 100 ml/100 worms) evoked
greater response in the larval body growth and optimal protein synthesis in the silk gland and fat
body. Hence, 1% dose of nutrilite in distilled water is recommended as the MED for positive
improvements in the larval growth, metabolism and silk production in the mulberry silkworm,
Bombyx mori.
Keywords: Bombyx mori, Growth, Minimum effective dose, Nutrilite, Proteins