Gut Microbiome Profiling of Eri Silkworm (Samia ricini) through 16S rRNA and Its Impact on Silk Yield in Dimapur, Nagaland, India
Chubanaro Aier
Department of Zoology, St. Joseph University, Chumoukedima, Nagaland, India.
Jeyaparvathi Somasundaram *
Department of Zoology, St. Joseph University, Chumoukedima, Nagaland, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Eri silkworms, or Samia ricini, have gut microbiota that is essential to host physiology, especially for digestion, immunity, and silk production. The diversity of bacteria in S. ricini's midgut was examined in this work using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Using BLASTn comparison with the NCBI GenBank database, four sample sequences (PPAI01, PPAI02, PETAI01, and PETAI02) were examined. Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis are among the bacterial species in the Bacillaceae family with which the sequences showed a high degree of similarity (96.53%–98.29%). The production of digestive enzymes, antibacterial substances, and phytohormones by these bacteria suggests a possible symbiotic interaction with the host. According to the results, these microbial species improve gut health, aid in the manufacture of silk, and improve nutrient absorption. Future probiotic tactics aiming at enhancing larval health and sustainable sericulture can build on the findings of this work.
Keywords: Samia ricini, gut microbiota, bacillus species, probiotics, 16S rRNA sequencing