The increasing resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents by the microorganisms, known as multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms, highlights the necessity to discover other alternative antimicrobial agents with natural, biocompatible sources. In this work, antimicrobial activity of bioactive extracts of Bombyx mori, used alone and combined with Royal Jelly (RJ), Selenium (Se) and their complex in relation to pharmaceutical and drug-delivery purposes were evaluated. The bivoltine Bombyx mori Third-instar larvae were reared on and exposed to tightly controlled environmental conditions and fed mulberry leaves which were supplemented with Royal Jelly, Selenium, or both. Methanolic extracts prepared using larvae of fifth-instar of the insect Bombyx were tested on the bases of in-vitro antimicrobial activity against clinically relevant pathogens namely Staphylococcus epidermidis, E. coli, P.aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and C. albicans using the disc-diffusion assay. The findings showed that extracts had an antibacterial effect, and significant differences were found between the experimental populations. Royal Jelly plus Selenium supplementation produced the strongest, broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect in all microorganisms studied, then the Royal Jelly-supplemented group. Extracts that solely contained Selenium and the control had a relatively reduced inhibitory effect. The difference in the antimicrobial activity was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The UV-Visible spectroscopy and FTIR analysis supported the existence of proteinaceous and bioactive functional groups in the extracts, and the spectral characteristics were found to be stronger in the supplemented formulations. On the whole, these results demonstrate that Royal Jelly and Selenium supplementation aids in significant increase in the antimicrobial efficacies of the bio actives found in Bombyx mori, highlighting their promise as natural antimicrobial agents in pharmaceutical and drug-delivery.
Keywords: Bombyx mori; Royal Jelly; Selenium; Antimicrobial activity; Drug delivery; Natural bio actives; In-vitro study
How to cite this article: Manoharan PV, Gani SB, Evaluation of Bombyx mori-derived bioactive supplemented with Royal jelly and Selenium as potential antimicrobial agents for Drug Delivery Applications. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(4s): 759-771; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.4s.88
Source of support: Nil
Conflict of interest: None