Nutritional parameters of CSR2 and PM X CSR2 strains of Bombyx mori fed with Neutral red as a food supplement

Recently, there are various methods to incorporate additional properties into silkworm silk, during its production in the silk gland itself. These advanced properties involve additional mechanical strength, colour, ultraviolet resistance, etc. and it is utilized for a wide range of applications. The property which focused in this study is the colour, an important quality attribute of silk. Effect of neutral red, a vital dye used as dietary supplement and its nutritional effects on Bombyx mori (B. mori) along with the colour manipulating efficiency on the larvae were observed. The colour change noticed from larval to cocoon stage confirms its efficiency to get into the silk gland of the animal crossing through the integument and haemolymph. The results of the observed nutritional parameters confirms that the selected dye in the selected concentration is suitable to produce colour cocoons without disturbing the nutritional traits such as ingesta, digesta, approximate digestibility percentage, growth rate, efficiency conversion rate, etc. of the larva. The findings elucidates that more vital dyes may use for the production of colour silk without causing any harm to the silkworm physiology. As the dye has no harmful effect in the dietary parameters, which plays a major role in the growth of the larva and production of silk, it is assumed that it may not affect the economical and biochemical parameters also. However, it has to be confirmed by further analyses.