NUTRITION RESEARCH ON SILKWORMS BOMBYX MORI L.

Fresh mulberry leaves can be difficult to come by at times, therefore many substitutes, preservation methods and additives have been tested in order to accomplish several goals: to extend the time of year when Bombyx mori larvae can be grown, to increase the weight of the chrysalis and its nutritional value for human consumption, to improve the harvestable silk quantity and its quality. The main directions chosen for the research were the replacement of mulberry leaves with leaves of other plants more easily available around the year, formulations of pastes containing dried mulberry leaf powder, and finally, having fresh mulberry leaves sprayed with or immersed into various additives, from minerals to vitamins. This document summarizes nutrition research that was made public, starting from 1953 up until 2008.