Effect of Nutritional Supplement Treated Quercus serrata Leaves on Life Cycle and Economic Traits of Oak Tassar Silkworm (Antheraea proylei)

Abstract— The present study examines the effect of nutritional supplementation of Quercus serrata leaves with various bioactive additives: amla (Emblica officinalis), neem (Azadirachta indica), spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) and sericin on the life cycle performance and economic characteristics of oak tasar silkworm (Antheraea proylei). This experiment was conducted during the spring season (August-December) in 2025 at the Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Chauntra, District Mandi (H.P.). The goal was to assess how these additives affect larval growth, cocoon quality and silk yield parameters. Quercus serrata leaves were uniformly treated with aqueous extracts of selected supplements and fed to 5th instar larvae under controlled growth conditions. Main biological parameters - larval length, survival percentage, effective rearing rate (ERR%), cocoon weight, shell weight, pupal weight and shell ratio were recorded and compared to an untreated control.

The results revealed that supplementation significantly affected larval growth and silk productivity. Among treatments, spirulina and amla showed the most pronounced positive effects, leading to reduced larval duration, higher survival and improved cocoon and shell weight. Neem and tulsi treatments showed moderate improvement, while sericin supplementation showed the most improvement in quality and luster of silk filament. The combined effect of nutritional fortification was reflected in superior economic traits and potential improvement in silk feed performance.

Overall, the study shows that supplementation of Quercus serrata leaves can effectively improve the physiological performance and silk yield of Antheraea proylei, suggesting an ecological approach and profitable strategy for sustainable oak tasar culture.