Effect of Medicinal Botanical (Ocimum sanctum), Family, Labiateae on Commercial Parameters of the SilkWorm, Bombyx mori, L

Abstract

The dietary nutritional management influences the rearing and commercial parameters of the silkworm. When silkworms were fed with mulberry leaves fortified with aqueous leaf extract of O. sanctum in the second instar, a positive response with respect to larval and commercial parameters were noticed. Highest larval weight in three instars viz third (1.341g/10 worms), fourth (5.434g/10), while in the fifth instar, at the beginning of the instar (11.802g/10 worms) in the middle (21.431g/10worms) and at the time of mounting (31.704g/10) was noticed at 3% concentration. The post cocoon characters increased with increase in concentrations. Further results showed that the maximum   ERR % (84±.03), total weight 100 cocoons (132.88 ±0.89gm), average cocoon weight (1.571±0.490gm), average shell weight (0.258±0.13gm), average silk ratio (15.975±0.57) and average filament (838.01±2.6 m) was noticed at 3% leaf extract concentration. The possible significance of these results is being discussed. The overall performance of B. mori in response to the treatment showed an improvement in commercial parameters