Abresham-Silkworm cocoons

1. ABRESHAM
SILKWORM COCOONS
Dr.Meenu Swaminath
2nd year PG Scholar
B.M.Kankanawadi Ayurveda Mahavidhyalaya
Belagavi
Karnataka

2. INTRODUCTION
 The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of the domesticated silkmoth,
Bombyx mori and being a primary producer of silk is an economically
important insect.
 The silk (Abresham) is popularly known as Abresham muqriz (muqriz
means cut) in Unani medicine. Its cocoons are extensively used as an
ingredient of various Unani formulations and are used to treat many
cardiac and nervous disorders.
 ‘Sericulture’ is an art and science of rearing silkworms to produce cocoons
and silk.
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 2

3. SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum:Arthropoda
 Class: Insecta
 Order: Lepidoptera
 Family: Bombycidae
 Genus: Bombyx
 Species: B. mori Binomial Name: Bombyx mori
 Synonyms: Silkworm
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 3

4. FORMATION OF COCOONS
 The life cycle of silk moth starts when a female silk moth
lays eggs.
 The caterpillar or larvae are hatched from the eggs of the
silk moth.
 The silkworms feed on mulberry leaves and give rise to
pupa.
 In the pupa stage, a weave is netted around by the
silkworm to hold itself.
 After that it swings its head, spinning a fibre made of a
protein and becomes a silk fibre.
 Several caterpillars form a protective layer around pupa
and this covering is known as the cocoon.
 The silk thread (yarn) is obtained from the silk moth’s
cocoon.
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 4

5. PROCESSING OF SILK
 Extracting silk from the cocoon is known as the processing of silk.
 Silk is separated from the cocoon by exposing it to sunlight.
 After the reeling of silk is done, the process of unwinding silk from a
cocoon takes place.
 Silk thread is then bleached.
 The silk fibre is then spun into silk threads.
 The cocoon is made of a thread of raw silk from 300 to about 900 meters
(1,000 to 3,000 feet) long.
 The fibers are very fine and lustrous, about 10 micrometers (1/2,500th of
an inch) in diameter.
 About 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons are required to make a pound of silk.
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 5

6. OCCURANCE
 India occupies a predominant position in the world and it is the
second largest producer of silk after China.
 Mulberry sericulture is practiced mainly in five states namely,
Karnataka (42.24%), Andhra Pradesh (30.71%), West Bengal
(11.67%), Tamil Nadu (8.99%) and Jammu and Kashmir (4.43%)
 Non-mulberry silks are produced in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh,
Orissa and north-eastern states.
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 6

7. PROPERTIES
 Bombyx mori silk is attributed the qualities ‘hot’ and ‘dry’ in its
temperament.
 It is a cardiac tonic and a nervous stimulant.
 It is an expectorant and removes excess ‘Kapha’ from the blood .
 It is been used to treat palpitations, hypertension and heart
diseases, which occurs due to hardening of arteries.
14-12-2022
Abreshmam-Dr.Meenu Swaminath 7