ABSTRACT
The phytochemicals of high nutritional and functional properties in Lepidium sativum L. (garden cress) seeds have nominated their seed powder (regardless of the concentration used) for enrichment of mulberry leaves in order to enhance Bombyx mori L. larval feeding, and consequently to gain ground in sericulture industry. As expected, B. mori larval feeding on L. sativum-enriched mulberry leaves showed not only a remarkable increase in mean values of certain economic parameters of B. mori, such as cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, pupal weight, and egg yield, compared with the control group, but also showed a phenomenal increase in egg counts (on average, ca. 958-1256 eggs laid per female moth) and a significant increase in egg size (measured as egg surface area and egg volume). Male or female moth larval diet has significantly influenced the reproductive performance or fitness of both sexes of B. mori in terms of large-sized moths (measured as forewing, hind femur, and hind tibia lengths) and highly fecund moths (i.e., increased fecundity and spermatophore counts per female moth, and large-sized eggs). On the basis of B. mori female moth reproductive index, the female moths from L. sativum-fed larvae proved to have a lower reproductive index compared to their corresponding value for females of the control group, indicating more efficient utilization of larval resources for B. mori reproduction. Quantification of the three main physiological resources viz., protein, lipid and carbohydrate in the internal reproductive tract of B. mori female moths at death has nominated the female moth abdomens, or simply their bodies, as being a reasonable natural source of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate, to be involved in certain manufactures (e.g., pet feed formulations) instead of discarding them as a source of environmental pollution. Evidently, the L. sativum seed powder is of considerable interest because it remarkably improves the performance of such an economically important insect, B. mori. This is the first study for evaluating the efficacy of L. sativum seed powder in sericulture field to enhance B. mori productivity parameters.