Properties and Utilization of Silkworm Excrement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v14i8.2411-2417.8787Keywords:
Silkworm , Excrement, By product , Recycling , Value additionAbstract
Silkworm (Bombyx mori Linnaeus) is an economically important insect known for silk production and has been cultivated for 5.000 years. Although silk fiber is the primary product of silkworm rearing, a considerable amount of economically valuable by-products compared to the amount of silk produced are generated during the cultivation and processing of silk. Silkworm excrement is a major by-product produced in large quantities during the rearing process and is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. On average, 500 kg of mulberry leaves are required to feed one box of larvae (approximately 20.000 individuals). As a result of this rearing, nearly 150 kg of silkworm excrement and 250 kg of mulberry waste are generated. Silkworm excrement contains approximately 60% moisture, 14–15% nitrogen-free extract, 8% crude fiber, 6–7% crude protein, and 1.5% crude fat. In addition, it contains valuable bioactive compounds such as chlorophyll and its derivatives, pectin, lutein, leaf proteins, fatty acids, sterols, flavonoids, and carotenoids. Historically, silkworm excrement was used as a fertilizer and as a therapeutic agent in traditional Asian medicine and it is still widely utilized today as compost and animal feed. Moreover, recent scientific and technological advances have demonstrated the significant potential of silkworm excrement in various fields, including pharmacology, biotechnology, chemistry, food science, and materials science. This article summarizes the physical and chemical properties of silkworm excrement, its potential application areas across different sectors, and recent research related to this topic.
References
Akbay, R. (1986). Arı ve ipekböceği yetiştirme. Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Yayınları, Yayın No: 956.
Buhroo, Z. I., Bhat, M. A., Kamili, A. S., Ganai, N. A., Bali, G. K., Khan, I. L., & Aziz, A. (2018). Trends in development and utilization of sericulture resources for diversification and value addition. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 6(4), 601–615.
Ding, L., Xu, L. L., Jin, Y. X., Wei, Y. C., Pan, Y. B., Sattar, S., Tan, Y. X., Yang, T., & Zhou, F. (2019). Efficacy of SXN in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia: A phase IV clinical trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 8796234. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8796234
FAO. (1990). Sericulture training manual, Agricultural Services Bulletin No:80, Rome.
Gürel, F. (2024). İpekböceği pupalarının besin değeri ve kullanımı. Journal of Animal Science and Products, 7(2), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.51970/jasp.1446220
Gürel, F. (2025). İpekböceği (Bombyx mori L.) yetiştiriciliğinde koza örememe sendromu ve olası sebepleri. Turkish Journal of Agriculture – Food Science and Technology, 13(6), 1675–1685. https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i6.1675-1685.7558
Li, M., Chen, L., Dai, Y., Li, J., Li, F., Li, Q., Yu, Z., Chai, K., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Differential metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis of silkworm biotransformation between mulberry leaves and silkworm droppings. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 8819538. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8819538
Li, P., Fu, H. T., Zhang, F. B., Pang, Y. W., Huang, Q. Y., & Tang, S. H. (2015). Effects of silkworm excrement-derived organic fertilizer on yield and quality of crops and soil property. Journal of Southern Agriculture, 46(7), 1195–1199. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.2095-119.2015.7.1195
Lochynska, M., & Frankowski, J. (2018). The biogas production potential from silkworm waste. Waste Management, 79, 564–570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.08.019
Mala, P. H., & Chandrashekhar, S. (2020). Influence of application of seri-waste bio-digestor liquid to mulberry on cocoon parameters of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 9(4), 116–120. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.904.015
Reddy, R., Jiang, Q., Aramwit, P., & Reddy, N. (2021). Litter to leaf: The unexplored potential of silk byproducts. Trends in Biotechnology, 39(7), 706–717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.11.001
Sharma, P., Bali, K., Sharma, A., Gupta, R. K., & Attri, K. (2022). Potential use of sericultural by-products: A review. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 11(8), 1154–1158.
Shen, X., He, J., Zhang, N., Li, Y., Lei, X., Sun, C., Muhammad, A., & Shao, Y. (2024). Assessing the quality and eco-beneficial microbes in the use of silkworm excrement compost. Waste Management, 183, 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2024.05.015
Shravanilakshmi, V., Kallimani, C. S., Vinoda, K. S., Doreswamy, C., & Asha, N. N. (2025a). Exploring silkworm litter as a liquid manure: A key to boost mulberry growth and productivity. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 28(1), 144–154. https://doi.org/10.9734/jabb/2025/v28i11869
Shravanilakshmi, V., Kankanawadi, N., Jekinakatti, B., Kruthika, M. S., Aramani, K., & Veenita, M. K. (2025b). Potentiality of silkworm litter in circular economy. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 28(9), 131–145. https://doi.org/10.9734/jabb/2025/v28i92866
Singh, K. P., & Jayasomu, R. S. (2002). Bombyx mori: A review of its potential as a medicinal insect. Pharmaceutical Biology, 40(1), 28–32.
Şahan, Ü. (2011). İpekböcekçiliği. Dora Yayıncılık.
Tantray, A. K., Nazim, N., Raja, M. S., Bhat, S. A., Wani, S. A., Dar, K. A., & Baqual, M. F. (2023). Bio-activity of mulberry silkworm droppings in different instars. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 12(8), 806–810.
Uzakova, D. U., Kolesnik, A. A., Zherebin, Y. L., Evstigneeva, R. P., & Sarycheva, I. K. (1987). Lipids of mulberry leaves and of mulberry silkworm excreta. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, 23(4), 419–422.
Valeron, N. R., Kothe, C. I., Prado, D., Munk, R., & Sörensen, P. M. (2024). Silkworm (Bombyx mori) frass as a novel culinary tea application in gastronomy: Aroma profile, volatile compounds, and consumer acceptance. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 38, 101057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2024.101057
Venugopal, A., Chandrasekhar, M., Naidu, B. V., & Raju, S. (2010). Vermicomposting in sericulture using mixed culture of earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida and Perionyx excavatus): A review. Agricultural Reviews, 31(2), 150–154.
Vimolmangkang, S., Somkhanngoen, C., & Sukrong, S. (2014). Potential pharmaceutical uses of the isolated compounds from silkworm excreta. Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 41(1), 97–104.
Xue, R., Li, Y., Shen, X., & Shao, Y. (2025). Research progress on comprehensive utilization of silkworm excrement bioresource. Resources, 14, 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14080128
Yang, Z., Zhao, J., & Ni, H. (2025). Silkworm excrement organic fertilizer substitution compound fertilizer improves bamboo shoot yield by altering soil properties and bacterial communities of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests in subtropical China. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, 1550946. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1550946
Yin, Y. Z., Chang, J., Guo, C. H., Yan, H. X., Huang, Y. L., Wang, Y., Fu, X. S., & Niu, W. L. (2009). Silkworm excrement and its application in animal feed. Feed Review, 8, 36–38.
Zeng, Q., Wang, X. H., Yang, L. P., Lang, R., Liang, Y., & Yu, R. H. (2020). Shengxuening versus oral iron supplementation for the treatment of renal anemia: A systematic review. Journal of Translational Internal Medicine, 8(4), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.2478/jtim-2020-0037
Zhang, H., Zhou, W., Ma, W., Cao, Y., Dou, Y., Gan, T., Gustave, W., He, L., Zhang, X., & He, F. (2025). Resource utilization of silkworm excrement: A review. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-025-06326-w
Zhang, Y. J., Chen, B. T., Zhang, Y. M., Zhang, Y. F., Zhu, B. L., Su, P., Ding, L. H., Xie, N. J., & Zhang, P. H. (2020). Bacterial diversity and VBNC bacteria in silkworm excrement from Guangxi. Journal of Microbiology, 60, 1036–1046. https://doi.org/10.13343/j.cnki.wsxb.20200020
Zhang, Y., Lv, Y., Sun, Y., Li, Y., Wang, D., Niu, J., Zhao, P., Zhang, M., Wang, M., Liu, W., & Hu, X. (2022). The efficiency and safety of Shengxuening tablet on treating and preventing iron deficiency anemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 1029641. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.1029641
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
