Skip to main content

Abstract

Silkworm is economically important and also has a large number of activities encompassing anticancer, antibacterial, antibacterial, antiviral, antihypertensive, angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, hepatoprotective, superoxide dismutase enzyme activity, free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibitory, antidiabetic, antityrosinase, cognition enhancing, alternative complement pathway-inhibiting, carotenoid binding, chymotrypsin inhibiting, and chitinase activities. These activities may be beneficial to human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Omenetto FG, Kaplan DL (2010) New opportunities for an ancient material. Science 329:528–531

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Arunkumar KP, Metta M, Nagaraju J (2006) Molecular phylogeny of silkmoths reveals the origin of domesticated silkmoth, Bombyx mori from Chinese Bombyx mandarina and paternal inheritance of Antheraea proylei mitochondrial DNA. Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:419–427

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ohnishi A, Kaji M, Hashimoto K, Matsumoto S (2011) Screening for the genes involved in bombykol biosynthesis: identification and functional characterization of Bombyx mori Acyl carrier protein. Front Endocrinol 2:92

    Google Scholar 

  4. Goldsmith MR, Shimada T, Abe H (2005) The genetics and genomics of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Annu Rev Entomol 50:71–100

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hu D, Liu Q, Cui H, Wang H, Han D, Xu H (2005) Effects of amino acids from selenium-rich silkworm pupas on human hepatoma cells. Life Sci 77:2098–2110

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lockey TD, Ourth DD (1996) Purification and characterization of lysozyme from hemolymph of Heliothis virescens larvae. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 220:502–508

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Taniai K, Kato Y, Hirochika H, Yamakawa M (1992) Isolation and nucleotide sequence of cecropin B cDNA clones from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Biochim et Biophys Acta 1132:203–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Yu KH, Kim KN, Lee JH, Lee HS, Kim SH, Cho KY et al (2002) Comparative study on characteristics of lysozymes from the hemolymph of three lepidopteran larvae, Galleria mellonella, Bombyx mori, Agrius convolvuli. Dev Comp Immun 26:707–713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Powning RF, Davidson WJ (1973) Studies on insect bacteriolytic enzymes. I. Lysozyme in haemolymph of Galleria mellonella and Bombyx mori. Comp Biochem Physiol B: Comp Biochem 45:669–686

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gandhe AS, Janardhan G, Nagaraju J (2007) Immune upregulation of novel antibacterial proteins from silkmoths (Lepidoptera) that resemble lysozymes but lack muramidase activity. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 37:655–666

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ng TB (2004) Antifungal proteins and peptides of leguminous and non-leguminous origins. Peptides 25:1215–1222

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Abraham EG, Nagaraju J, Salunke D, Gupta HM, Datta RK (1995) Purification and partial characterization of an induced antibacterial protein in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. J Invertebr Pathol 65:17–24

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hara S, Yamakawa M (1995) A novel antibacterial peptide family isolated from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Biochem J 310(Pt 2):651–656

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hara S, Yamakawa M (1995) Moricin, a novel type of antibacterial peptide isolated from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The Journal of biological chemistry 270:29923–29927

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hara S, Yamakawa M (1996) Production in Escherichia of moricin, a novel type antibacterial peptide from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 220:664–669

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Li BC, Zhang SQ, Dan WB, Chen YQ, Cao P (2007) Expression in Escherichia coli and purification of bioactive antibacterial peptide ABP-CM4 from the Chinese silk worm, Bombyx mori. Biotechnol Lett 29:1031–1036

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hiraki A, Yukawa M, Kim J, Ueda S (1997) Antiviral substance from silkworm faeces: purification and its chemical characterization. Biol Pharm Bull 20:547–555

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Jacob JR, Mansfield K, You JE, Tennant BC, Kim YH (2007) Natural iminosugar derivatives of 1-deoxynojirimycin inhibit glycosylation of hepatitis viral envelope proteins. J Microbiol 45:431–440

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gotoh K, Izumi H, Kanamoto T, Tamada Y, Nakashima H (2000) Sulfated fibroin, a novel sulfated peptide derived from silk, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus replication in vitro. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 64:1664–1670

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Selot R, Kumar V, Shukla S, Chandrakuntal K, Brahmaraju M, Dandin SB et al (2007) Identification of a soluble NADPH oxidoreductase (BmNOX) with antiviral activities in the gut juice of Bombyx mori. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 71:200–205

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Masuyer G, Schwager SL, Sturrock ED, Isaac RE, Acharya KR (2012) Molecular recognition and regulation of human angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) activity by natural inhibitory peptides. Sci Rep 2:717

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Harrap SB, Davidson HR, Connor JM, Soubrier F, Corvol P, Fraser R et al (1993) The angiotensin I converting enzyme gene and predisposition to high blood pressure. Hypertension 21:455–460

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang W, Shen S, Chen Q, Tanga B, He G, Ruan H et al (2008) Hydrolyzates of silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori) protein is a new source of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides (ACEIP). Curr Pharm Biotechnol 9:307–314

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ni L, Tao GJ, Dai J, Wang Z, Xu SY (2001) Separation, purification and identification of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory silk fibroin peptide. Se Pu = Chin J Chromatogr/Zhongguo Hua Xue Hui 19:222–225

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Zhou F, Xue Z, Wang J (2010) Antihypertensive effects of silk fibroin hydrolysate by alcalase and purification of an ACE inhibitory dipeptide. J Agric Food Chem 58:6735–6740

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Quan GX, Mita K, Okano K, Shimada T, Ugajin N, Xia Z et al (2001) Isolation and expression of the ecdysteroid-inducible angiotensin-converting enzyme-related gene in wing discs of Bombyx mori. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 31:97–103

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Raghavendra R, Neelagund S, Kuluvar G, Bhanuprakash V, Revanaiah Y (2010) Protective effect of partially purified 35 kDa protein from silk worm (Bombyx mori) fecal matter against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity and in vitro anti-viral properties. Pharm Biol 48:1426–1431

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Leiherer A, Mundlein A, Drexel H (2012) Phytochemicals and their impact on adipose tissue inflammation and diabetes. Vasc Pharmacol 58(1–2):3–20

    Google Scholar 

  29. Wang HY, Wang YJ, Zhou LX, Zhu L, Zhang YQ (2012) Isolation and bioactivities of a non-sericin component from cocoon shell silk sericin of the silkworm Bombyx mori. Food Function 3:150–158

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lee HJ, Lee HS, Choi JW, Ra KS, Kim JM, Suh HJ (2011) Novel tripeptides with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity isolated from silk cocoon hydrolysate. J Agric Food Chem 59:11522–11525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Kim K, Park S, Yoo HK, Lee JY, Jung HY, Kim DH et al (2009) Brain factor-7 extracted from Bombyx mori enhances cognition and attention in normal children. J Med Food 12:643–648

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Fang EF, Ng TB (2011) Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is a cornucopia of health: a review of its credited antidiabetic, anti-HIV, and antitumor properties. Curr Mol Med 11:417–436

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Manosroi A, Boonpisuttinant K, Winitchai S, Manosroi W, Manosroi J (2010) Free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibition activity of oils and sericin extracted from Thai native silkworms (Bombyx mori). Pharm Biol 48:855–860

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Yamamoto K, Zhang P, Banno Y, Fujii H, Miake F, Kashige N et al (2005) Superoxide dismutase from the silkworm, Bombyx mori: sequence, distribution, and overexpression. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 69:507–514

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Stephan AH, Barres BA, Stevens B (2012) The complement system: an unexpected role in synaptic pruning during development and disease. Annu Rev Neurosci 35:369–389

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ji KM, Zhan ZK, Chen JJ, Liu ZG (2008) Anaphylactic shock caused by silkworm pupa consumption in China. Allergy 63:1407–1408

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Liu Z, Xia L, Wu Y, Xia Q, Chen J, Roux KH (2009) Identification and characterization of an arginine kinase as a major allergen from silkworm (Bombyx mori) larvae. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 150:8–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Zhao P, Xia Q, Li J, Fujii H, Banno Y, Xiang Z (2007) Purification, characterization and cloning of a chymotrypsin inhibitor (CI-9) from the hemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Protein J 26:349–357

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Fang EF, Hassanien AA, Wong JH, Bah CS, Soliman SS, Ng TB (2011) Isolation of a new trypsin inhibitor from the Faba bean (Vicia faba cv. Giza 843) with potential medicinal applications. Protein Pept Lett 18:64–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Liu M, Zhang H, Hu X, Wei Q (2010) Purification and characterization of a chitinase from Bombyx mori. Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao = Chin J Biotechnol 26:404–409

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Aramwit P, Damrongsakkul S, Kanokpanont S, Srichana T (2010) Properties and antityrosinase activity of sericin from various extraction methods. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 55:91–98

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The award of a research grant (81273275) to Lixin Xia from the National Science Foundation of China is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lixin Xia .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Xia, L., Ng, T.B., Fang, E.F., Wong, J.H. (2013). Bioactive Constituents of the Silk Worm Bombyx mori . In: Fang, E., Ng, T. (eds) Antitumor Potential and other Emerging Medicinal Properties of Natural Compounds. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6214-5_22

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics