Earthworms have been widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. However, it is only during the past few decades, with the development of biochemical technologies, that research on the pharmaceutical effects has been initiated. The present study was carried out to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties of indigenous earthworm powder (Perionyx excavatus), usi...

Earthworm metabolism is recognized as a useful tool for monitoring environmental insults and measuring ecotoxicity, yet extensive earthworm metabolic profiling using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been limited in scope. This study aims to expand the embedded metabolic material in earthworm coelomic fluid, coelomocytes, and tissue to aid systems toxicology research. Fifty-n...

Little research has been performed on the impact of pesticides on earthworms under tropical conditions. Taking into consideration the often-limited resources in tropical countries, simple screening tests are needed. Therefore, it was investigated whether three pesticides relevant for the Brazilian Amazon (benomyl, carbendazim, lambda-cyhalothrin) affect the avoidance behavior of the earthworm E...

The effect of various animal wastes on growth and reproduction of an epigeic earthworm Eisenia foetida was studied under identical laboratory conditions. For each waste, viz., cow, buffalo, horse, donkey, sheep, goat and camel, five hatchlings per 100 g of waste were inoculated and monitored for biomass gain, mortality, sexual maturity, cocoons production periodically for 15 weeks. No mortality...

Earthworms are essential detritus feeders that play a vital role in the process of decomposition of organic matter and soil metabolism. They are referred to as indicators of soil health. The complex process of partial breakdown of organic matter and mixing with mucous and gut microbial flora in the form of earthworm cast results in the enhancement of soil fertility status. They influence the so...

In order to test if the intestinal bacteria play an important role in antibacterial ability of earthworm, we chose Escherichia coli O157:H7, an anthropozoonosis pathogen, as a biological stressor and studied the change of intestinal bacteria community of earthworm by PCR-DGGE analysis. Results showed that the pathogen merely existed 1 3 days, then almost disappeared after through the earthworm’...

Micro-scale changes in earthworm communities and ground cover types were studied along five transect lines in an unmanaged beech forest (Fontainebleau forest, France). Spatial patterns were interpreted to the light of interactions between earthworm species and forest architecture, ground vegetation and quantity as well as quality of litter. The anecic Lumbricus terrestris was associated with pa...

BACKGROUND The interplay between diet, gut bacteria and health still remain enigmatic. Here, we addressed this issue through the investigation of the effect of crystalline cellulose on the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris gut microbiota composition and survival. METHODS Earthworm gut contents were analyzed after 14 days of feeding using a mixed 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach, in addition to ...