Journal of Environmental Biology

Impact of organic rich diet on gut enzymes, microbes and

biomass of earthworm, Eudrilus eugienea

G. Sumathi and Arockiam Thaddeus*

Department of Zoology, Jayaraj Annapackiam College for Women (Autonomous) Periyakulam ? 625 601, India.

*Corresponding Author email : arockiamt@yahoo.co.in

 Publication Data

Paper received:

07 April 2011

Revised received:

29 November 2011

Re-revised received:

03 March 2012

Accepted:

27 July 2012

Abstract

Vermitechnology provides scope and opportunities in the field of Biotechnology. The sudden decline in earthworm biomass may mainly be due to the over use of chemicals. Steps had been taken to enhance the production of biomass of earthworms by providing organic wastes rich in major organic constituents such as cereals, pulses and skin of chick. Earthworms (Eudrilus eugienea) were fed with organic constituents individually, and in combination of organic rich diet. The biomass of the earthworm was steadily increasing in the individual treatment was found when fed with organic rich diet at 10, 20 and 30 days respectively 09.987, 13.569 and 18.212. The bacterial counts in the gut of earthworms were 543 x 10⁵?CFU ml^-1. The bacteria identified were Bacillus spp., Lactobacillus spp and Flavobacterium spp. Enzymes screened in the gut were amylase, endoglucanase, cellulase, sucrase and protease. From the present investigation, it was found that the organic rich diet is the ideal medium in which the biomass of earthworms are high, their enzymatic activity was also high with variety of microbes which will enhance the efficiency of the soil.

Key words

Eudrilus eugienea, Organic rich diet, Enzyme, Microbes

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