Medicinal Applications of Silkworm and its By-products

When most people think of the silkworm Bombyx mori, silk fabric is the first thing that comes to mind. But this small insect has a much larger role to play – one that extends deep into the world of medicine. Researchers have increasingly recognized that every stage of the silkworm’s life cycle – from larva to pupa to adult moth – yields bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential. This makes the silkworm not just a textile resource, but a genuine medicinal organism, with applications spanning traditional healing systems and cutting-edge biomedical science.

The silkworm as a source of medicinal compounds 🔗

A comprehensive review published in Pharmaceutical Biology identified the importance of all stages of the silkworm’s life cycle – eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult moths – as well as its by-products and waste products, as potential medicinal sources. This is significant because it means the sericulture industry, which already generates these biological materials as part of routine silk production, can simultaneously support pharmaceutical applications. Rather than treating these by-products as waste, they can be seen as valuable inputs for drug discovery, nutraceuticals, and biomedical materials.

Medicinal properties of silkworm larvae 🔗

The larval stage is arguably the richest source of medicinal compounds. Silkworm larvae have been identified as a source of adipokinetic hormone (AKH), chymotrypsin inhibitors, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, the sex pheromone bombykol, and a range of essential amino acids. Beyond isolated compounds, larvae are also valued as a health food, particularly for cardiac patients and those with diabetes, bronchial asthma, primary trigeminal neuralgia, vocal nodules and polyps, and for the treatment of facial palsy and associated pain.

Blood glucose regulation: the role of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) 🔗

One of the most thoroughly studied medicinal applications of silkworm larvae is their effect on blood glucose. Silkworms have drawn global scientific attention due to their significant hypoglycemic activity, which is primarily attributed to 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) – a compound they accumulate by feeding on mulberry leaves. DNJ is a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that delays the hydrolysis and absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines, thereby suppressing post-meal blood sugar spikes.

Studies have shown that larvae at the 3rd day of the 5th instar stage have the highest concentration of DNJ, making this the optimal period for collection. Silkworm powder, derived from these larvae, has been used traditionally as a diabetic treatment in China, Korea, and Japan, and laboratory studies confirm that it significantly lowers blood glucose levels. Notably, the drug miglitol, a clinically approved alpha-glucosidase inhibitor used to manage type 2 diabetes, was developed based on structural modifications of DNJ – a direct pharmaceutical breakthrough traced back to the silkworm.

Bombyxin: an insulin-like peptide 🔗

Bombyxin is the first insulin-like heterodimeric peptide found in insects; its A and B chains share 50% and 30% sequence homology with human insulin, respectively. This structural similarity has made it an interesting subject of research for understanding glucose metabolism and insulin signalling pathways. While human clinical application of bombyxin itself remains under investigation, it underscores the silkworm’s value as a model organism for diabetes research.

Antimicrobial peptides from larval hemolymph 🔗

The hemolymph of silkworm larvae contains antimicrobial peptides with immunomodulatory effects. These peptides have been isolated and characterized as novel antibacterial agents, with potential applications against drug-resistant bacterial infections. The larvae infected with the fungus Beauveria bassiana – known as white muscardine disease – are also used in various Chinese medicine decoctions for treating bronchial asthma, facial palsy, trigeminal neuralgia, and vocal cord disorders.

Medicinal uses of silkworm pupae 🔗

The pupal stage, which remains as a by-product after silk reeling, is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. Pupae are a source of proteins, vitamins B1, B2, and E, diapause hormone, and multiple amino acids, and they are used in antibacterial and antihistaminic preparations. Their chrysalises also contain palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids, making them useful both as food additives and in pharmaceutical formulations.

Pupal extracts are rich in essential fatty acids, bioactive peptides, vitamins, and chitin derivatives, offering antioxidant, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antihypertensive, and anticancer benefits. Research has also shown that silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate can reduce systolic blood pressure in hypertensive rats, suggesting its potential as a natural antihypertensive supplement. Silkworm pupae powder inhibits alpha-glucosidase activity, reduces post-prandial blood sugar, and increases fat metabolism, indicating dual potential as both an antidiabetic and weight management agent.

Medicinal applications of the silk cocoon: fibroin and sericin 🔗

The silk cocoon is composed of two main proteins – silk fibroin (SF) and silk sericin (SS). These are not merely structural fibres; they are biologically active materials with an expanding range of pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Silk fibroin in drug delivery and tissue engineering 🔗

Silk fibroin, derived from the cocoons of Bombyx mori, has a well-established track record in biomedicine due to its superior compatibility with the human body, exceptional mechanical characteristics, and controllable biodegradation. Because it is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and biodegradable, it has been developed into a variety of biomedical formats including nanoparticles, hydrogels, films, scaffolds, and wound dressings. These materials are used for controlled drug release, bone tissue engineering, and wound healing applications.

Natural silk fibroin has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties – making it one of the most functionally versatile biomaterials available from any natural source. Silk has also been used as a surgical suture material for centuries due to its strength and biocompatibility.

Silk sericin: antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties 🔗

Sericin, previously discarded as a textile waste product, is now recognised as a therapeutically significant protein. Sericin possesses outstanding antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and tissue-regenerative properties, making it relevant for conditions such as hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. Research has demonstrated that sericin-based formulations can inhibit colon cancer cell lines by promoting apoptosis, and sericin hydrogels have shown promise in wound healing without triggering inflammatory responses.

The silkworm cocoon was first mentioned as a medicinal agent in the Compendium of Materia Medica, one of China’s most important traditional medical texts, where it was recorded for its ability to stop bleeding, quench thirst, and detoxify boils. Modern research has confirmed and expanded on these traditional uses, identifying specific hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial mechanisms. Additionally, the silk cocoon has been referenced in Persian medicine, where it is known as abrisham and was included by Avicenna among natural remedies for cardiovascular and nervous ailments.

Adult moths as medicinal agents 🔗

Male silkworm moths are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat sterility. A unique lipophilic peptide called the VAP peptide has been isolated from the heads of male moths and is being studied as a bioactive material. Silk moths, which are typically discarded after mating, are now being utilised in therapeutic formulations such as medicinal wines and natural oils. This represents a growing effort to recover value from every part of the silkworm’s life cycle.

Medicinal properties of silkworm excrement (Can Sha) 🔗

Perhaps the least expected source of medicinal compounds is silkworm excrement, known in traditional Chinese medicine as Can Sha. Far from being dismissed as waste, this material has a well-documented therapeutic history. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, Can Sha has a warm medicinal nature and acts on the liver, spleen, and stomach meridians. It is used to expel wind and dampness, regulate the stomach, and treat conditions including rheumatic arthritis, limb numbness, joint pain, migraine, facial paralysis, oral ulcers, leukopenia, and iron deficiency anaemia.

In traditional Chinese medicine, silkworm feculae are used to expel wind, harmonise the stomach, disperse dampness, and transform turbidity. They have been reported to promote wound healing, hematopoiesis, liver protection, antiulcer, antitumor, antidiabetes, and antihyperlipidemia effects.

Bioactive compounds in silkworm feces 🔗

Chlorophyll extracted from silkworm feces is used medicinally for gastric disorders such as ulcers and hepatitis, and for liver and blood diseases. Other compounds extracted include pectin, phytol, carotene, triacontanol, and solanesol – all of which are used in the treatment of conditions such as acute pancreatitis, chronic nephritis, leukocytopenia, and elevated blood cholesterol. Pectin from silkworm feces has been shown to reduce blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels, while phytol is used in the preparation of vitamins E and K.

In traditional medicine systems across China, Korea, and other Eastern Asian countries, silkworm feces have long been used as a therapeutic agent for infectious diseases, headache, and abdominal pain. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed anti-inflammatory activity in silkworm fecal extracts, with isolated flavonoids and a compound called lupeol shown to suppress inflammatory mediators.

Silkworm-derived vaccines and recombinant proteins 🔗

Beyond traditional medicine, silkworms are now being used as biological factories to produce therapeutic proteins. The baculovirus-silkworm expression system allows researchers to produce complex proteins, including vaccine antigens, at scale. A single intramuscular dose of a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine produced using the baculovirus-silkworm pupae system provided full protection in rabbits against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) for at least 180 days. This platform is also being explored for producing human vaccines and therapeutic hormones, including recombinant human insulin-like growth factor.

From traditional knowledge to pharmaceutical research 🔗

What is striking about the medicinal applications of Bombyx mori is the degree to which modern science is validating and building on centuries of traditional use. Compounds identified in silkworm larvae, pupae, cocoons, and excrement are now being studied not just in test tubes but in clinical and preclinical settings. Research interest in the pharmaceutical uses of silkworm pupae alone has seen a significant increase in the last decade, with Asian countries – particularly China, India, and Thailand – contributing the majority of published studies. As sericulture continues to expand, the opportunity to integrate medicinal by-product utilisation into existing production systems offers both economic and public health benefits.

What do you think? Given that silkworm excrement (Can Sha) has been used in traditional medicine for centuries yet remains little known outside Asia, how might greater integration of such traditional knowledge into mainstream pharmaceutical research change the way we approach drug discovery? And with nearly every stage of the silkworm’s life cycle yielding medicinal compounds, do you think sericulture should be formally recognised as a source of pharmaceutical raw materials alongside its role in silk production?

References

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