Manasee Choudhury
Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, India
Title: Mineral confiscation of cocoons of Antheraea assamensis Helfer (Muga) for effective reeling using certain demineralizing mediators
Biography
Biography: Manasee Choudhury
Abstract
Cocoons laid by the wild sericogenous insect Antheraea assamensis Helfer (Muga) are found to hold heavy deposition of minerals (calcium oxalate) on its surface. This mineral deposition grounds for the difficulty in reeling of Muga fiber in comparison to the cocoons of mulberry silkworm. In this study, the mineral layer is attempted to wash out using some chemical and natural agents like ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), potassium carbonate, citric acid, extract of Musa balbisiana (kolakhar) and Citrus limon (lemon). It is observed that both the natural and chemical agents carefully removes the mineral deposition, leaving the gummy sericin substantially intact, preventing entanglement of fibroin brins and permitting wet reeling. Demineralization helps to extract continuous free flowing silk from the cocoon with very minimum number of fiber breaks compared to conventional degumming. The scanning electron micrographs and FTIR of demineralized cocoon fiber showed removal of granular minerals from the silk. The tensile strength of demineralized fiber showed superiority in contrast to sodium carbonate degummed fiber. Under the implemented experimental conditions ‘kolakhar’ and potassium carbonate functioned as the most efficient demineralizing agent amongst all. Therefore, the present study may be an improved method for softening wild silk cocoons in contrast to harsh degumming for obtaining long continuous reeled fiber threads with very less number of fiber breaks and enhanced mechanical strength along with reduced toxicity and allergenicity.