Effects of Probiotic Supplemented diet on Growth Performance of Silkworm Bombyx mori and Improved Characteristics of Cocoon and Silk

Aims: The present work is to investigate the effect of probiotic namely normagut on the biochemical and commercial characteristics of silkworm, B. mori.

Study Design: Normagut treated mulberry leaves were supplemented at three different concentrations: 1%, 2% and 3%. It was fed to B. mori larvae and biochemical parameters were analyzed.

Place and Duration of Study: Experiments were performed at Muslim Arts College, Tamilnadu, India between June 2019 and May 2020.

Methodology: The feeding supplementation started from first day of third instar to last day of fifth instar for every 24 h. The research was performed with control and experimental groups of 3 replications of 30 larvae each.

Results: In our study, 2% concentration of probiotic normagut was very effective and maximum of fat body protein (31.18 µg/mg), glycogen (20.21 µg/mg) and lipid (255.31 µg/mg) was observed. Maximum of haemolymph protein (58.12 µg/ml), trehalose (365.06 µg/ml) and of lipid (41.06 µg/ml), free amino acid (34.32 µg/ml), protein (64.43 µg/mg ) and 15.27 µg/mg of lipid was recorded in silk gland of B. mori (p<0.001). The economic traits of larval weight (3869.23 mg), cocoon weight (2131.36 mg), shell weight (463.13 mg), shell ratio (21.72%) and filament length (912.24 m) was recorded in 2% normagut treated group.

Conclusion: The probiotics enhanced the commercial characteristics of cocoon and silk.