Can Earthworms Heal Humans?

 
EFFECT OF EARTHWORM PASTE (LAMPITO MAURITII, KINBERG) ON THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTI-OXIDATIVE, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL INDICES OF RAT (RATTUS NORVEGICUS)

Summary

2006

By ¹M.Balamurugan, ¹M.Prakash, ¹K.Parthasarathi, ²E.L. Cooper and ¹L.S.Ranganathan ¹Division of Vermibiotechnology, Department of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalai nagar- 608002, India; ²UCLA Neurobiology; BOX 951763; 63-230 CHS; Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763

From time immemorial earthworms have been used as a therapeutic agent. Recently earthworm protein and its coelomic fluid were reported to have cytolytic, agglutinating, proteolytic, haemolytic, mitogenic, anti-pyritic, tumorstatic and antibacterial activities. Vohora and Khan found earthworms to have healing effect on wounds, chronic folds, piles and sore throat. Earthworm's anti-pyretic properties were reportedly tried in China and Japan in reducing fever. Hori et al have reported significant anti-pyretic activity of earthworms Lumbricus spp and Perichaeta spp. Bhatnagar and Palta have reported that earthworms when ingested in to our body system, increase body heat and are of value in neural disorders, bronchitis and tuberculosis and in curing rheumatism. Mihara et al have reported the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus to be potentially very useful in treating thrombosis and infact, orally administrated earthworm powder was capable of digesting intra vascular fibrin clots.  The anti-inflammatory activity of earthworm paste (EP) and its extracts in different solvents were studied in carageenin induced oedema and cotton pellet granuloma in rats. It was found that the anti-inflammatory activity of earthworms was similar to that of aspirin on carrageenan induced oedema.  Experiments were conducted to understand the therapeutic properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, haemataological and serum biochemical markers of earthworm paste (EP) from an indigenous species Lampito mauritii (Kinberg), in comparison with the standard anti-inflammatory drug- aspirin, on Wistar albino rat (Rattus norvegicus). Our results showed that the administration of aspirin (75 mg/kg) or different doses of EP (20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg), reduced inflammation and restored to a normal condition, both in acute as well as in chronic phase. We found that the effects were more significant when 80 mg/kg EP was administered compared to aspirin or other doses of EP.  Under this condition, in the liver of acute phase inflamed rats, the levels of reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were found to be normal. Also in the liver and muscle of chronic phase inflamed rats, levels of reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase were normal. Furthermore, in chronic phase inflamed rats, the following parameters were normal: haematological parameters e.g., red erythrocyte corpuscle, white leukocyte corpuscle, differential levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, haemoglobin and serum biochemical contents e.g., protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, acid and alkaline phosphatase, electrolytes e.g., sodium, potassium and chloride. These results reflect the presence of anti-inflammatory effects of EP, which may scavenge the free radicals /and  stimulates the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes, and normalizes the haematological and serum biochemical characteristics.

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