THE MODULATORY ROLE OF ZINC IN THE SILKW, BOMBYX MORI (L)

Examining the modulatory effect of zinc chloride on various aspects of silkworm such as Morphometric traits, Protein profiles in various tissues like silk gland, haemolymph, fat body and muscle of the V instar silk worm larvae and also the Economic parameters of the cocoon. Different concentrations of zinc such as 2μg/ml, 5μg/ml, 10μg/ml and 20μg/ml, were prepared by dissolving Zinc chloride in distilled water. The experimental worms were divided in to four groups and fed with mulberry leaves soaked in these selected doses of zinc chloride and control groups of silkworm’s larvae were fed with normal mulberry leaves four times in a day throughout the 5th instar period. Both control and experimental larvae were sacrificed on selected days viz. 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th day. Cumulatively, the findings of the present study finally suggest that zinc induced active turnover of all profiles of protein metabolic events in the posterior silk gland, creating the conditions that are highly congenial for growth and silk production.The present investigation is one such attempt in the direction of improving the economic parameters of the silk.