Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Mulberry and Silkworm Research on the Production of Silk and Its By-Products

Abstract

Traditionally, sericulture is meant as the agricultural activity of silk production, from mulberry (Morus sp.pl.) cultivation to silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) rearing. The aim of the present work is to analyze the trends and outputs of scientific research on sericulture-related topics during the last two decades, from 2000 to 2020. In this work the authors propose a text-mining analysis of the titles, abstracts and keywords of scientific articles focused on sericulture and available in the SCOPUS database considering the above-mentioned period of time; from this article collection, the 100 most recurrent terms were extracted and studied in detail. The number of publications per year in sericulture-related topics increased from 87 in 2000 to 363 in 2020 (+317%). The 100 most recurrent terms were then aggregated in clusters. The analysis shows how in the last period scientific research, besides the traditional themes of sericulture, also focused on alternative products obtainable from the sericultural practice, as fruits of mulberry trees (increment of +134% of the occurrences in the last five years) and chemical compounds as antioxidants (+233% of occurrences), phenolics (+330% of occurrences) and flavonoids (+274% of occurrences). From these considerations, the authors can state how sericulture is an active and multidisciplinary research field.

High yielding mulberry production through controlled pollination for enhanced vegetative growth and early sprouting suitable for tropical agroclimatic regions

“…Leaf quality can also be assessed using a silkworm bioassay, which takes into account metrics such as mature larval weight, leaf-to-cocoon ratio, and silk recovery. The ultimate goal of the research is to identify promising mulberry seedlings that can be further utilized for silkworm production, which could have significant economic benefits for the community (Giora et al, 2022) [11] .…”

Gut Microbiota Analysis in Silkworms (Bombyx mori) Provides Insights into Identifying Key Bacterials for Inclusion in Artificial Diet Formulations

“…This domesticated insect has been subjected to intensive artificial selection, leading to the development of a highly specialized silk-producing entity [1,2]. Nonetheless, the commercial success and sustainability of sericulture face ongoing challenges, necessitating the optimization of rearing environments alongside the minimization of production expenses [3,4]. A significant factor in silkworm husbandry that has recently attracted considerable interest is the intricate relationship between diet, gut microbiota, and the health of the host organism [5][6][7].…”

“…As monophagous insects, silkworms (Bombyx mori) predominantly consume mulberry leaves (Morus alba) in their natural habitat, which are crucial for their nutritional intake [4,8]. The nutrient composition of mulberry leaves, particularly the balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and essential micronutrients, plays a pivotal role in the growth, development, and silk production of silkworms [4,8,9].…”

“…As monophagous insects, silkworms (Bombyx mori) predominantly consume mulberry leaves (Morus alba) in their natural habitat, which are crucial for their nutritional intake [4,8]. The nutrient composition of mulberry leaves, particularly the balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and essential micronutrients, plays a pivotal role in the growth, development, and silk production of silkworms [4,8,9]. However, the increasing demand for silk and the need for cost-effective and efficient production methods have led to the widespread adoption of artificial diets in commercial sericulture [6,[10][11][12].…”

Effect of amino acid fortified mulberry leaves on economic and biological traits of Bombyx mori L.

“…Silk is a natural, genetically encoded, long spun filament of fibrous protein, produced by various arthropods including Arachnids and Lepidoptera [ 5 , 6 ]. Silk protein from silkworm ( Bombyx mori L.) is a highly utilized fiber because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability and elasticity [ 7 ].…”