Silk industry wastes containinglarge quantities of waste pupae canbe used as poultry feed, according toresearchers of the Department ofChemistry, Cotton College, Guwahati. The scientists have shown thatwaste muga (a wild silk obtainedfrom the cocoon of an Assamesemoth) pupae in dry form is rich in animal protein.
A mixture prepared from rawmuga pupae and its deoiled formcompares well with conventionalfish meal as a rich source of protein.It is found to significantly increasethe growth rate of chicken, whichalso retained more nitrogencompared to those fed on fish meal.(PTI Science Service)