title: An emerging functional natural silk biomaterial from the only domesticated non-mulberry silkworm Samia ricini.
abstract: Mulberry silk fibroin is a widely used biomaterial and recent work on non-mulberry silk fibroin also suggests it may have similar uses. We expect silk fibroin from the only domesticated non-mulberry eri silkworm, Samia ricini, to possess useful properties as a biomaterial. Eri silk gland fibroin is a heterodimeric protein of approximately 450 kDa. Cytocompatibility evaluation with fibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells shows good cell attachment, viability and proliferation. The matrices, which have high thermal stability and good swellability, are also haemocompatible. Eri silk production is cost effective as no agronomic practices are required for their host plant cultivation. This fibroin provide new opportunities as an alternative natural functional biomaterial in various biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India.
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Joydip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.forename: Sarmistha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talukdar
authors.forename: Tintu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Subhas C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kundu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000378:metabolism*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012831:Bombyx / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D047011:Silk; D005349:Fibroins
keywords: Samia ricini; biomaterial; eri; fibroin; silk