Fourth instar
Bombyx Mori
silkworm larvae were fed on mulberry leaves to which royal jelly had
been added. The impact on the larval, cocoon, shell and pupal weight, shell ratio percentage, filament length and
weight, and the number of breaks during reeling were examined. The results indicate that royal jelly-enhanced diet
significantly increased larval, cocoon and pupal weights, but had no significant effect on shell weights and denier.
Similarly filament length, weight and filament reeling breaks were significantly different between controls and royal
jelly fed groups. The cocoon shell ratio percentage was significantly higher in the control compared to the royal jelly
fed groups. Results established positive trends in all the values of different parameters observed in the experimental
group against the control group, apart from the cocoon shell ratio percentage. Results imply that supplementing
mulberry leaves with royal jelly has the potential to enhance the commercial qualities of silk and can be used in
sericulture for yield improvement.
