Silkworm (Bombyx mori) has the Capability to Accumulate C20 and C22 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Abstract

Bombyx mori, an insect with significant economic importance in China contains a large amount of lipids among different developmental stages, especially the pupal stage. Silkworms were fed with a base diet and fish oil supplemented diet, and the FA compositions of different strains, life stages, and sexes were determined by GC-MS. No C₂₀ or C₂₂ polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were detected in silkworms fed with the base diet. Females accumulated more unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) than males in the pupal stage, and the relative amount of USFAs decreased from the wandering stage to the moth stage, especially in females, suggesting that silkworms prefer the utilization of USFAs. In addition, when silkworms were fed with a diet supplemented with fish oil, which contained C₂₀ and C₂₂ PUFAs, they accumulated C₂₀ and C₂₂ PUFAs in proportion to the concentration of fish oil added to the diet.

Practical applications: Currently, the main dietary source of C₂₀ and C₂₂ PUFAs is marine fish, however, of which the stocks are declining because of environmental pollution and overfishing. Because of its excellent capability to accumulate C₂₀ and C₂₂ PUFAs, silkworm could be developed as a potential new source of these long-chain FAs by transferring Δ5 and Δ6 desaturases to silkworm or its primary food, mulberry.

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