PBS- and urea-based dual extraction of Bombyx mori cocoon coat proteins: comparative analysis of yield, bioactivity and proteomic differences

ABSTRACT: The silkworm cocoon coat is a crucial natural barrier during the pupal stage, protecting the insect from patho-gens and environmental stress and containing silk proteins with notable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this study, water-soluble proteins were extracted from the outer cocoon layer of the Bombyx mori N4 strain using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 8 M urea, and the two buffer systems were compared in terms of protein yield, bioactivity, and proteomic composition. Urea-based extraction markedly increased the total protein yield, whereas the PBS extract showed stronger radical-scavenging capacity and more pronounced inhibition of fungal growth. Proteomic analysis further revealed clear differences between the two methods in sericin-to-fibroin ratios, recovery of defense-related proteins, and extraction efficiency for membrane-associated proteins. These results provide a ba-sis for the functional exploitation of cocoon coat proteins and for selecting appropriate extraction strategies ac-cording to different research or application goals.

ORGANISM(S): Bombyx Mori Densovirus

SUBMITTER: Chun Liu  

PROVIDER: PXD076349 | iProX | Mon Mar 30 00:00:00 BST 2026

REPOSITORIES: iProX