Antherina suraka Boisduval (Saturniidae, Lepidoptera) produces a silken cocoon that has been the focus of efforts to create a commercial wild silk industry in Madagascar. In this study, structural and mechanical properties of the cocoon of A. suraka from two sites were measured and compared to the cocoon of Bombyx mori L. (Bombycidae, Lepidoptera) the world's most common source for silk. Result...

Spider dragline is used by many members of the Araneae family not only as a proteinogenic safety thread but also for web construction. Spider dragline has been shown to possess high tensile strength in combination with elastic behavior. This high tensile strength can be attributed to the presence of antiparallel β-sheets within the thread; these antiparallel β-sheets are why the protein is clas...

The purpose of this study is to investigate the adoption of lean manufacturing tools and techniques in the silk production Industry, A questionnaire survey was used to explore 14 key areas of lean management and culture, and tools and techniques. The respondents were asked to rate the extent of implementation for each of these areas. The average mean score for each area was calculated and some ...

Realization of current trends and innovative uses of insect fibre, silk is required to exploit its compatibility, eco friendly and value addition potential. The nutritive value as human diet for cardiac and diabetic patients, component for cosmetic preparations indicate silk application rate. The bio-compatibility made it a base material for tissue wall, membrane, muscle ligament, blood vessel,...

Drug delivery across mucus membranes is a particularly effective route of administration due to the large surface area. However, the unique environment present at the mucosa necessitates altered drug formulations designed to (1) deliver sensitive biologic molecules, (2) promote intimate contact between the mucosa and the drug, and (3) prolong the drug's local residence time. Thus, the pharmaceu...

A novel sodium N-fatty acyl amino acid (SFAAA) surfactant was synthesized using pupa oil and pupa protein hydrolysates (PPH) from a waste product of the silk industry. The aliphatic acids from pupa oil were modified into N-fatty acyl chlorides by thionyl chloride (SOCl2). SFAAA was synthesized using acyl chlorides and PPH. GC-MS analysis showed fatty acids from pupa oil consist mainly of unsatu...