Wild silk controls cholesterol: Expert

Prof Akai of Japan, who presented a paper `Global scenario of wild silk’ at the ongoing third international conference on wild silk moth here, has claimed that the newly recognised property of wild silk will greatly increase the utilisation of wild silk in the next century.

Wild silk like the Chinese Tassar, Indian Tassar, Eri Silk, Muga Silk and Tensan has long been used for characteristic silk textile. Wild silk has also an anti-bacterial function and possesses absorption effect among other things.

Prof Akai said Japan had initiated research work on wild silkmoths and silk since 1980 and used all available technology to harness various means of wild silk utilisation.

The scientist said the products made from wild silks could be popularised fortheir special qualities and such added values could stimulate their increased utilisation.

He said recent study had also shown that the domesticated bombyx silk had the property which affected cholesterol in hemolymph, alcohol metabolism, senile dementia and diabetes.

In wild silk produced under environmental conditions these factors were expected to be present more strongly than in bombyx silk.

In fact the anti-bacterial function of Chinese Tassar have already been reported to be higher than that of non-mulberry silkmoths.