Sains Malaysiana 51(2)(2022): 547-558

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5102-18

Physicochemical Characteristics and Microbiological Quality of Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Larval and Pupae Powder: Comparative Study

(Pencirian Fizikokimia dan Kualiti Mikrobiologi Larva dan Pupa Ulat Sutera (Bombyx mori): Kajian Perbandingan)

LOO YUET YING¹, LIM HUI YING¹, NOOR-SOFFALINA SOFIAN-SENG^{1, 2}, WAN AIDA WAN MUSTAPHA^{1, 2} & NOORUL SYUHADA MOHD RAZALI^{1, 2}*

¹Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Innovation Centre for Confectionery (MANIS), Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 26 March 2021/Accepted: 29 June 2021

ABSTRACT

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) has been reported to exhibit diverse health benefits. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the physicochemical (colour, water activity, pH, water solubility, proximate, mineral, amino acid, and fatty acid composition) and microbiological qualities of Bombyx mori silkworm powder produced from two developmental stages (larvae and pupae). Silkworm pupae powder (SPP) had significantly higher (p<0.05) lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values than silkworm larval powder (SLP). SPP had significantly higher (p<0.05) water activity and solubility than SLP. The pH values of both silkworm powders were not statistically different. SLP had significantly higher (p<0.05) protein and moisture but significantly lower (p<0.05) fat, ash, fibre, and total calorie content as compared to SPP. The total amino acid content of SPP was significantly higher (p<0.05) than SLP. SLP had significantly higher (p<0.05) protein efficiency ratio than SPP, indicating that SLP contained higher amount of essential amino acid. Both silkworm powder contained 20 types of fatty acids with SPP exhibited significantly higher (p<0.05) polyunsaturated fatty acid composition than SLP. Both silkworm powders had a low n-6/n-3 ratio, which may be beneficial to human health. Both SLP and SPP could be a good source of iron and rich in magnesium and zinc. SPP had a significantly lower (p<0.05) yeast and mould count as compared to SLP. The finding of this study suggested that silkworm powder produced from two different developmental stages may provide beneficial health effects in humans derived from the protein, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids content.

Keywords: Amino acid; fatty acid; mineral; proximate composition

ABSTRAK

Ulat sutera(Bombyx mori) telah menunjukkan banyak kebaikan kepada kesihatan manusia. Kajian perbandingan telah dijalankan untuk menilai kualiti fizikokimia (warna, aktiviti air, pH, keterlarutan dalam air, komposisi proksimat, mineral, asid amino dan asid lemak) dan mikrobiologi serbuk ulat suteraBombyx mori yang diperbuat daripada dua peringkat perkembangan yang berbeza (larva dan pupa). Serbuk ulat sutera pupa (SPP) mempunyai nilai kecerahan (L*) dan kekuningan (b*) yang tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding serbuk ulat sutera larva (SLP). SPP mempunyai aktiviti air dan keterlarutan dalam air lebih tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SLP. Nilai pH untuk kedua-dua serbuk ulat sutera tidak berbeza secara signifikan. SLP mempunyai kandungan protein dan air yang tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) tetapi kandungan lemak, abu, serat dan jumlah kalori yang lebih rendah secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SPP. Jumlah asid amino SPP adalah lebih tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SLP. SLP mempunyai nilai nisbah kecekapan protein yang lebih tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SPP dan menunjukkan SLP mempunyai kandungan asid amino perlu yang lebih tinggi. SLP dan SPP mempunyai 20 jenis asid lemak. SPP mempunyai kandungan asid lemak politaktepu yang lebih tinggi secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SLP. Kedua-dua serbuk ulat sutera mempunyai nilai nisbah n-6/n-3 yang rendah yang berpotensi untuk memberi manfaat kepada kesihatan pengguna. SLP dan SPP juga boleh menjadi sumber zat besi dan kaya dengan magnesium dan zink. SPP mempunyai kiraan yis dan kulat yang lebih rendah secara signifikan (p<0.05) berbanding SLP. Penemuan ini menunjukkan serbuk ulat sutera daripada dua peringkat perkembangan yang berbeza boleh memberi manfaat kepada manusia kerana mengandungi protein, mineral, asid amino dan asid lemak.

Kata kunci: Asid amino; asid lemak; komposisi proksimat; mineral

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*Corresponding author; email: syuhada_ns@ukm.edu.my