Supplementation of Lactobacillus casei reduces the mortality of Bombyx mori larvae challenged by Nosema bombycis

Table 1 Effects of Lactobacillus casei and Nosema bombycis challenge on Thai polyvoltine strain, DokBua, of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Treatments (n = 75)	Quality parameter (means ± SD)
	Growth characters			Economic characters
	Larval weight of 5th instar (g)	Cocooning ratio (%)	Pupation ratio (%)	Cocoon weight (g)	Cocoon shell weight (g)
Lactobacillus casei (10⁸ cell/mL) followed by Nosema bombycis (10⁶ spores/mL)	2.70 ± 0.96^a	95.00 ± 0.00^ab	95.00 ± 0.33^a	1.33 ± 0.33^a	0.23 ± 0.33^a
No treatment	2.55 ± 0.48^a	96.00 ± 0.33^b	100.00 ± 0.33^b	1.23 ± 0.67^a	0.20 ± 0.57^a
Lactobacillus casei (10⁸ cells/mL)	2.84 ± 0.48^a	96.00 ± 0.57^b	100.00 ± 0.57^b	1.40 ± 0.58^a	0.23 ± 0.67^a
Nosema bombycis (10⁶ spores/mL)	2.12 ± 0.96^b	93.00 ± 0.33^a	87.00 ± 0.66^c	1.27 ± 0.33^a	0.23 ± 0.33^a

Statistically significant differences as measured by Duncan multiple range test are denoted with different letters

ISSN: 1756-0500