Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXVI, Issue 1
Written by Anca GHEORGHE, Mihaela HĂBEANU, Teodor MIHALCEA, Georgeta DINIȚĂ
Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) is an important monophagous insect in the sericulture industry. The mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) are known as valuable plants rich in nutrients and nutraceuticals due to the presence of chemo-factors (morin, β-sitosterol) and antioxidants (flavonoids, anthocyanin and alkaloids), the traditional feed in the rearing of silkworm larvae. The mulberry is also used in pharmaceutical, food, beverage and healthcare industries, being considered a suitable plant for sustainable development. Over time, research on using the artificial diet in silkworms has been focused on different topics: i) rearing silkworms in the season when mulberry leaves are insufficient or not available and ii) as an organism model for human diseases (i.e., tumour, degenerative and metabolic diseases) due to the low breeding cost, short generation time, genetic background, large progeny size and numerous genes homologous to humans. This review aimed to summarize the literature information about the impact of nutrition as a key factor in silkworm rearing and the effectiveness of using an artificial diet based on different ingredients in silkworm productivity and health.
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