Earthworm, a non-conventional protein source with 520–530 g protein kg−1 on dry matter basis was used in three forms viz. (i) whole earthworm (ii) earthworm custard, and (iii) pelleted earthworm diet to prepare three iso-nitrogenous (500 g protein kg−1 diet) and iso-caloric (17.0 MJ kg−1 diet) experimental diets. The formulated diets were fed ad libitum twice daily to Labeo rohita advanced fry ...

Endogeic earthworm activities can strongly influence soil structure. Although soil microorganisms are thought to be central to earthworm-facilitated aggregate formation, how and where within the soil matrix earthworm-facilitated influences on soil microbial communities are manifested is poorly defined. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene-based terminal restriction fragment polymorphism (T-RFLP)...

the effect of ethanolic extract of iranian green propolis, rosemary and earthworm meal to determine on performance, immune system and blood metabolites of japanese quail, using 160 mixed-sex quail chicks in a completely randomized design by four treatments (including ethanolic extract of propolis 0.1 percent, rosemary leaves meal 0.5 percent, earthworm meal 0.5 percent and control) and four rep...

The earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme (EFE), belonging to a group of serine proteases with strong fibrinolytic activity, has been used in a mixture as an oral drug for prevention and treatment of thrombosis in East Asia. The EFE component b (EFE-b) is one of seven EFE components from Eisenia fetida, and among them it has nearly the highest fibrinolytic activity. Here, we report its crystal structur...

When soluble earthworm cuticle collagen molecules are subjected to the shearing forces of a flow birefringence instrument, they are broken into particles approximately half the original size. The broken particles resemble vertebrate tropocollagen molecules in their hydrodynamic properties, in levorotatory powers, and in their appearance in the electron microscope. Most significantly, the broken...

The important role of earthworms in the biomagnification of heavy metals in terrestrial ecosystems is widely recognised. Differences in earthworm biomass between sites is mostly not accounted for in ecological risk assessment. These differences may be large depending on soil properties and pollution status. A survey of earthworm biomass and colonisation rate was carried out on dredged sediment-...

Biological sensitivity to contaminant concentrations may vary substantially from species to species and the mode of toxic action may be highly selective and impair specific biological functions of the organisms. Physiological activities i.e. respiration, metabolism, feeding, breeding etc, of aquatic invertebrates are inhibited by the effects of pesticides [1]. Various workers have shown that ea...

The invasion of exotic earthworms in previously earthworm-free areas eliminates the forest litter layer, alters the carbon and nitrogen cycles and reduces native plant cover. Humans are the principal agents of invasive earthworm dispersal, spreading worms both inadvertently through the horticulture industry, logging and road travel, and voluntarily through composting and the disposal of earthwo...

India produces around 3000 million tones of organic waste annually. This huge volume of waste(s) comes from agriculture, urban and industrial sources and also from domestic activities. Utilization of this waste material for productivity process is important for both economical and environmental reasons. In the present study an effort has been made to asses the efficacy of E. foetida (red tiger ...