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Surface smoothening and characterization of silk fibers of Antheraea assamensis Helfer (muga) using some natural agents

Cocoons of Antheraea assamensis (muga) silkworm were treated with different classes of natural-acidic (Citrus limon and Dillenia indica) and alkaline (Musa balbisiana) materials with the aim to elucidate their effectiveness as degumming agents. The tensile strength of silk fibers increased significantly after bio-degumming compared to industrial degumming using sodium carbonate. Scanning electron microscopy of bio-degummed fibers appeared clean and even with clear individual fibroin filaments. FTIR studies confirmed that bio-degumming resulted in holding the innate nature of muga silk. Under the implemented experimental conditions, M. balbisiana and C. limon functioned as most efficient degumming agents, followed by D. indica. The findings of this study propose the use of such eco-friendly degumming practices over the usual harsh industrial treatments for obtaining applaudable quality of silk with robust strength necessary for both textile and biomaterial purpose, besides reducing the impact of chemical toxicity on the environment.