EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF AMINO ACIDS LEUCINE AND VALINE ON THE ECONOMIC CHARACTERS OF SILKWORM BOMBYX MORI L. (BOMBYCIDAE : LEPIDOPTERA)
D. V. SHEEBA RAJA KUMARI *
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY SARAHTUCKER COLLEGE PERUMALPURAM. TIRUNELVELI-627 007, INDIA
C. PADMALATHA *
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, RANIANNAGOVERNMENT COLLEGE FOR WOMEN GANDHI NAGAR, TIRUNELVELI-627 008, INDIA
C. JEYA PAUL *
DEPTT OF ZOOLOGY. SRI PARAMAKALYANICOLLEGE ALWARKURICHI-62742. INDIA
A. J.A. RANJITSINGH *
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY SARAHTUCKER COLLEGE PERUMALPURAM. TIRUNELVELI-627 007, INDIA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Effect of aminoacid enrichment with mulberry leaves on the economic characters of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. was traced. Mulberry leaves enriched with amino acids showed significant effect in larval weight. cocoon Weight, shell weight, shell ratio and filament length. The amino acid concentration (leucine) at 100 ppm was very effective. Mulberry leaves enriched with amino acid (leucine at 10ppm) fed larvae recorded a maximum cocoon weight (1760mg), pupal weight (1458mg), shell weight (302mg), shell ratio(17.16%). and filament length (510M). shell weight in this treatment (100ppm) showed an increase of 34.22% over control and filament length is also 15.91% increase over the control. Various growth parameters like relative consumption rate (RCR), relative growth rate (RGR), weight gain, approximate digestibility (AD). efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) were modulated by the amino acid supplementation.
Keywords: Economic parameter, Bombyx mori, energy value, amino acids