Silkworm pupae protein has been considered to be a new available source of high-quality protein that contains all the amino acids needed by the human body.
Silkworm pupae are natural enormous byproducts of the silk industry with excellent applications in the field of biomedical science and the pharmaceutical industry. The proteins extracted or identified from silkworm pupae expressed great medicinal value to cure different deadly diseases. Most importantly, functions of pupal protein includes drug delivery, tissue engineering, tissue scaffolds, wound dressings, regulation of blood lipids and glucose, antiapoptotic, antioxidant, antigen toxic, hepatoprotective activity, bioreactor, and as anticancer agent.
(PDF) Biomedical Applications of Silkworm Pupae – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313859418_Biomedical_Applications_of_Silkworm_Pupae_Proteins
It has good water-solubility and its aqueous solution has good transparency. This product is widely used in nutritional and health-care food (amino acid oral liquid, amino acid buffers, amino acid capsules, fruity amino acid drinks and concentrated drinks, energized drinks for special types of work, nutritive wine, food for the aged and children and so on).
Another component of silkworms is a proteolytic enzyme called serrapeptase, which allows the moths to dissolve the cocoons when they are ready to emerge. This protein is widely used in human alternative medicine and is associated with anti-inflammatory properties and arterial plaque reduction.
Silkworm pupae contain vitamin B2, which can be important to avoid the serious effects of vitamin B2 deficiency /Kwon MG, Kim DS, Lee JH, Park SW, Choo Y et al (2012) Isolation and analysis of natural compounds from silkworm pupae and effect of its extracts on alcohol detoxification.
Many insects contain fibers, such as chitin, that are different from the dietary fiber found in foods like fruits and vegetables. Researchers from University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in the US looked at what eating crickets does to the human microbiome. The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports. The trial shows that consuming crickets can help support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and that eating crickets is not only safe at high doses but may also reduce inflammation in the body. The researchers saw an increase in a metabolic enzyme associated with gut health, and a decrease in an inflammatory protein in the blood called TNF-alpha, which has been linked to other measures of well-being, like depression and cancer. Additionally, the team saw an increase in the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria like Bifidobacterium animalis, a strain that has been linked to improved gastrointestinal function and other measures of health in studies of a commercially available strain called BB-12.
Chitin has been documented to be useful as antimicrobial, emulsifying, thickening and stabilizing agents in the food industry. Also has shown notable bioactivity in biomedical fields, including wound healing promotion, immune system enhancement, and hemostatic, hypolipidemic and antimicrobial activity.
Chitin is a long-chain polysaccharide with functional groups that make it a valuable biopolymer for a broad range of applications.
(PDF) Extraction and Characterization of Chitin – Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224283954_Extraction_and_Characterization_of_Chitin_from_the_Beetle_Holotrichia_parallela_Motschulsky [accessed Aug 06 2018].
Another important medicinal values of products and by products of sericulture. Keeping various attributes of sericulture under view, the present review highlighted the potentiality of different medicinal properties of mulberry leaves, fruits, bark, roots.
There are many health benefits of mulberry trees as well:
- From the leaves special type of tea is made which is used to control blood pressure.
- The fruits juices are used to cure mouth ulcers, fever, heart, throat, digestive, eyesight, anemia, dizziness, insomnia, hepatitis, constipations, etc.
- Mulberry juices are very helpful in weight loss, builds immunity, enhance appetite, increase hair growth, relieve tiredness and fatigue, control excessive thirst.
As well, Lyengar in 2007, suggested that mulberry extract provide viable treatment to Alzheimer’s disease through inhibition of amyloid beta- peptide (1-42) fibril formation and attenuation of neurotoxicity induced by amyloid beta-peptide and further confirm that mulberry leaf contains anti-oxidative substance that helps to prevent atherosclerosis and some flavonoids that are effective in controlling hyperlipidemia.
http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2017/vol6issue5/PartT/6-5-73-176.pdf