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The Anthropocene presents significant challenges for silkworms and sericulture
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This review examined threats to silkworm (Bombyx mori) health and the sericulture industry in the Anthropocene, covering pesticides, micro/nanoplastics, air and water pollution, climate change, and disease. Plastic pollution was identified as a significant emerging stressor, with nanoplastics penetrating silkworm tissues and disrupting larval development.
The Anthropocene presents unprecedented challenges to global biodiversity and ecosystems. The silkworm Bombyx mori , which is the cornerstone of the sericulture industry, faces numerous challenges in this rapidly changing world due to various anthropogenic factors, including environmental pollution, climate change, diseases and pathogens, habitat degradation, declining genetic diversity, and economic instability. This review explores the effects of these multifaceted challenges on silkworms and their implications for the sericulture industry. Environmental pollution, particularly from pesticides, micro- and nanoplastics, and air and water pollution, stands out as one of the major concerns for silkworm health and quality. Additionally, temperature extremes, drought, flooding, unpredictable weather patterns, land use changes, disease outbreaks, antibiotic resistance, labor shortages, and market volatility have threatened the sustainability of silkworm-rearing practices and the sericulture industry. Here, we propose integrated mitigation strategies that span genetic (resilient strains), environmental (pollution control), and biotechnological approaches. Additionally, we have proposed strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of these factors and enhance the resilience of sericulture in the face of the Anthropocene. By detailing the specific challenges faced by sericulture today, this review raises awareness among stakeholders and underscores the urgency of utilizing integrated strategies to address these challenges and ensure the sustainability of silk production. • The Anthropocene is pushing natural ecosystems beyond recovery. • Environmental pollution, climate change, and habitat loss are key concerns. • Pathogens, diseases, and antibiotic resistance are other significant challenges. • These factors threaten silkworms and sericulture. • Mitigation strategies should be adopted to ensure the sustainability of sericulture.
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Micro/nanoplastics as emerging pesticide carriers: Toxicological implications and mechanistic perspectives in the model insect, silkworm Bombyx mori
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles called micro/nanoplastics and how they may carry pesticides in silkworms, an insect important for silk production. It reports that combining plastics with pesticides often increases pesticide buildup and harmful effects, through processes like gut damage and oxidative stress, though effects vary depending on particle type and conditions.
Sericulture: Prospect to Address the Global Challenges of Climate Change and Microplastic in Textile Sector
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This paper argued that sericulture — the production of silk from silkworms — offers environmental advantages over synthetic textile production as a natural alternative to polyester and nylon fibers that shed microplastic particles during washing. Silk is biodegradable and its production cycle has a lower microplastic footprint than synthetic textiles. The authors proposed expanding sericulture as part of climate change mitigation strategies in the textile sector.
Ingestion and effects of polystyrene nanoparticles in the silkworm Bombyx mori
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Scientists fed polystyrene nanoparticles to silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori) and found ingestion, tissue accumulation, and oxidative stress responses, demonstrating that terrestrial insects are vulnerable to nanoplastic exposure through their food.
Effects of polyamide microplastics with different particle sizes on the development of silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and its progeny: A study based on the age-stage, two-sex life table
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Silkworms fed leaves contaminated with polyamide (nylon) microplastics showed reduced body weight, fewer eggs, and lighter cocoons, even though none died during the experiment. The harmful effects carried over to the next generation, with offspring developing more slowly, living shorter lives, and reproducing less successfully. This transgenerational impact suggests that microplastic contamination in the environment could have lasting effects on insect populations across multiple generations.
Environmental concentrations of microplastic-induced gut microbiota and metabolite disruption in silkworm, Bombyx mori
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Exposing silkworms to environmentally realistic concentrations of microplastics disrupted their gut bacteria and altered metabolites involved in energy, fat metabolism, and immune function. Even low-level exposure caused significant shifts in microbial communities and metabolic pathways without killing the organisms. This research highlights how microplastics can cause hidden health effects by disrupting the gut microbiome, a concern that extends to humans who are also exposed through food and water.
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