Influence of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) seed fortified mulberry leaves on the silk gland of silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Abstract

The total protein requirement of silkworms is not attained fully by supplying only mulberry leaves to silkworm due to weak nutritional composition of mulberry. Fortification is a modern technique in which different nutrients are supplemented on mulberry leaf to improve the cocoon yield and silk content in advanced sericulture. Protein is one of the important constituent necessary for silk production. The protein assimilation implies to healthy growth of silk gland which is important for more protein synthesis and leads to good cocoon production which serves as the basic raw material for production of silk. The silk gland weight, gland body ratio and silk conversion index varied significantly when silkworms were fed with different concentrations of lentil seed viz., 0 mg/ml, 2 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml, 6mg/ml, 8 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml fortified mulberry leaves. Significantly higher silk gland weight (2.23 g), gland body ratio (39.75) and silk conversion index (23.44) was recorded when silkworms were fed with 8 mg/ml lentil seed fortified mulberry leaves followed by 6 mg/ml, 4 mg/ml, 2 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml respectively in comparison to control. It is concluded that lentil seed fortified mulberry leaves can significantly enhance the weight of silk gland, silk gland body ratio and silk conversion index of silkworm.