Study of nutritional content and antioxidant activity of prepupae and pupae stages of Samia ricini

Sericulture is a common practice around the globe. The silk produced by moths is widely known, but the nutritional potential of silkworms for human consumption is not well recognized. The present study analyses the nutritional contents and antioxidant properties of the prepupae and pupae stages of Samia ricini. Proximate analysis was carried out following AOAC methods. The antioxidant activity was studied by Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl, and 2,2’-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) assays. The study observed substantial quantity of nutritional content in both the prepupae and pupae stages of S. ricini. The moisture content was found to be 70-72% in wet tissue weight. Protein content was 13-15% and 46-51% in wet and dry tissue, respectively. The study observed significant increase in protein content from prepupae to pupae stages. Fats and carbohydrate content also showed significant differences between the two stages of S. ricini. The pupae showed more potent antioxidant activity compared to prepupae. The IC50 values for pupae were 3.29 ± 0.12 mg/mL and 1.79 ± 0.32 mg/mL for DPPH and ABTS assay. In contrast, prepupae stage showed weaker antioxidant properties with IC50 values of 7.26 ± 0.52 mg/mL and 3.11 ± 0.12 mg/mL. The present study suggests that the pupae of S. ricini could be an alternative source of proteins, antioxidants, and beneficial food to incorporate into daily diet compared to the prepupae stage.