Department of Agricultural Entomology, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar - 736 165, West Bengal, (India).
1Ex-Professor of Entomology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, (India).
1-day, 4-day and 7-day old eggs of P5 race of bivoltine silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were subjected to six different chemicals (aqueous solutions) viz., ascorbic acid (2 mg/ml), biotin (1.5 mg/ml), bovine serum albumin (2 mg/ml), theophylline (1.5 mg/ml), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) (2 mg/ml) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) (1.5 mg/ml). Results indicated that there was a gradual increase in weight of silk gland with increase in age of egg and treatment at 7-day produced heaviest silk gland. Albumin produced maximum weight of silk gland and higher change in weight due to 5-HT and c-AMP but theophylline brought about significant reduction in weight.
