A review on the biochemical properties and applications of muga and spider silk

Natural silk fibers are polymers of fibrous protein synthesized by arthropods. Although the silk-producing organisms produce a variety of silk, but each species produces only one type of silk fibre. However, spiders individually may produce several types of silk fibers. Natural biomaterials with millions of years of evolution are often at a higher position in comparison to man-made materials in their characteristics. Silk produced by muga silkworm and spider serves as an excellent example of natural biomaterial with evolutionary optimization with superior strength, toughness and extensibility in comparison to several other natural and manmade silk fibers. The non-degrading properties of manmade artificial materials have brought a huge threat to the environment. Therefore, there is a change in trend globally supporting usage of environment-friendly substances. Therefore, the application of natural fibers in different sectors is gaining huge support globally. Moreover, the difference in fiber constitution causes engagement of different fibers in different sectors like textile industries, biomedical and drug delivery applications, bio fabrication and several other applications.