• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.105-112
• /
• 1994

To evaluate the role of dietary earthworm flour in liver injury by CCl4 treatment, the rats were fed 5% earthworm flour supplemented diet for 53 days and control rats were fed standard diet without earthworm supplementation. Liver damage was induced both in earthworm flour supplemented diet and control groups by two intraperitoneal injections of CCl4 at the level of 0.1$m\ell$/100g body weight(50% in olive oil) at intervals of 16 hours the increasing rate of lover weight/body weight(%) and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase activity to the control group were higher in CCl4-treated rats fed earthworm flour supplemented diet than those fed standard diet. The decreasing rate of hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity was also higher in rats fed earthworm supplemented rats by the CCl4 treatment, Hepatic glutathione S-transferase activity was sinificantly higher in rats fed earthworm supplemented diet than those fed standard diet. It is concluded that a dietary earthworm flour argument the metabolic rate of CCl in rats.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.79-89
• /
• 2003

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing earthworm meal on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of feed in broiler chicks. A total of 120 broiler chicks at 7 days of age were fed the experimental diets containing 0％(Control), 0.2％ and 0.4％ of earthworm meal for 6 weeks. When fed on both starter and finisher diets, the body weight gain and amount of feed intake were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the chicks fed 0.4％ of earthworm meal than those fed 0％ and 0.2％ of earthworm meal. There were no significantly differences in feed. conversion ratio and mortality among the treatments. When fed on both starter and finisher diets, digestibility of dry matter of feed was not affected by the dietary treatment, but crude fat and crude ash digestibilities of feed were tend to increased in chicks fed earthworm meal Digestibility of crude protein of feed in chicks fed 0.4％ of earthworm meal was significantly(P<0.05) improved as compared with those in 0.2％ or control group. These results indicated that the dietary supplementations of 0.4％ earthworm meal were effective in improve digestibility of crude protein of diet resulted improved broiler performance if.. broiler chicks.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 1994

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed application of earthworm cast and N-fertilizer on dry matter(DM) yield in orchardgrass(Dactylis glomerate L.). Experimental plot were designed by a randomized block design with 3 replications of six different treatments-Control(0:0), 100% earthworm cast(0:100), 3 levels of mixed application(25:75:, 50:50, 75:25) of earthworm cast and N-fertilizer, and 100% N-fertilizer(100:0)based on content (%) of nitrogen. The experiment was carried out from March to October, 1993, on the forage experimental field of Kon-Kuk Univ. in Seoul. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Annual dry matter yield was significantly increased according to increasing of N-fertilizer 2. Dry matter yield for each treatment as cutting time was passing was decreased. However, dry matter yield was slightly increased at 75%, 50%, and 25% mixed application of earthworm cast at the third cutting time than the second cutting time(p<0.05). 3. concerning each treatment per cutting time, dry matter yield was higher at 100% N fertilizer than the other treatments at the first, second, and fourth cutting time except the third cutting time only(p<0.05). And according to decreasing of mixing ratio of N fertilizer, dry matter yield was decreased, too. 4. Dry matter yield of 100% earthworm cast was significantly higher than control at the fourth cutting time(p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.75-84
• /
• 1995

This study was carried out to find the effects of the mixtures of earthworm cast, peatmoss, and vermiculite as a vegetable plant growth medium on the growth pepper seedlings. The mixed ratios of earthworm cast-peatmoss-vermiculite were 40-20-40, 40-30-30, 40-40-40, 50-20-30, 50-30-20, 60-10-30, 60-20-20 and 60-30-10%. The results of the study are as follows: 1, There was a significant difference of plant length, leaf area, shoot dry weight, root dry weight and biological yield per plant for growth stages and mixed ratios(p<0.05). But there was no significant interactions for both of them. 2. The nursery soil with earthworm cast was generally higher than the control treatment in shoot dry weight, root dry weight adn biological yield per plant. The shoot dry weight and biological yield per plant were high in the treatment including 60% of the earthworm cast to the 3rd week and in the one including 50% from the 4th week. But in root dry weight, the treatment including 40% of it was higher than treatment of the others. 3. The shoot dry weight per plant in treatments consisting both of 40% of earthworm, 40% of peatmoss and 20% of vermiculite and of 60%, 10% and 30% was more significant than that in the control treatment(p<0.05). 4. The average relative growth rates of shoot dry weight, root dry weight and biological yield for all treatments were higher than the ratio of control treatment except the ration of the treatment consisting of 60% of earthworm, 20% of peatmoss and 20% of vermiculite.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 2006

Effects of the supplement of earthworm cast produced from the feeding of organic wastes and earthworm on the productivity and nutritional constituents of functional eggs were investigated. Compared with control experiments, the case supplemented with earthworm cast showed high ratios in egg production, selection and the reserved feed. According to the experiment with earthworm, both the number of jumbo eggs and the quantity of reserved feed were increased. Therefore, the nutritional effect of earthworm in the feed was positive. The optimum percentage of earthworm cast in the feed was 10%: the average laying increased to 96.8, which was a 5% increase; the ratio of the large eggs increased by 5% although the ratio of jumbo eggs and of extra large eggs decreased by 5% and 1.1%, respectively; the average reserved feed was 662.5g. Also, Beauveria bassiana was inoculated into the feed as valuable microorganisms to prevent the growth of pathogen and to obtain essential amino acid. With the inoculatio of B. bassiana KACC 40039, the average laying was 0.82/hen and with B. bassiana HYB, it was 0.77/hen. Those numbers were three to eight percentage over the control. As for the effect of inoculation of B. bassiana in the feed on the production of broken eggs, B. bassiana KACC 40039 produced no broken eggs. Analysis of nutritional contents of eggs showed the increase in protein content and decrease in lipid content when compared with the control. According to these results, increase in the income of farmers can be expected.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 1994

Earthworm cast was investigated in this study in order to domestically develop inexpensive and safe plug nursery soil. 20,30,40 and 50% of earthworm cast were added to the nursery soil as vegetable plant growth media, in which peatmoss and vermiculite constituted the rest of the soil. The effects of earthworm cast on the growth of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedling were obtained as follows. 1. According to the growth stages, significant differences(p=0.001) were recorded in number of leaves, leaf area and biological dry matter yield per plant(shoor or root dry matter yield per plant). In view of mixing ratios in the nursery soil, number of leaves, leaf area and stem weight per plant showed differences significantly at 1% level and leaf weight, root weight and biological dry weight per plant at 5% level, respectively. 2. The nursery soil with earthworm cast showed increased number of leaves and leaf area per plant compared to the commercial nursery soil particularly in the later stage of this study than in the earlier stage 3. Through the total period of seedling growth, leaf weight, stem weight and root weight per plant in the nursery soil with earthworm cast were genrally higher than those in the control and this trend was apparant in the treatment of more than 40% of mixing ratio with earthworm cast. 4. Although leaf weight per plant was higher than stem weight per plant till the 3rd week, from the 4th week stem weight per plant was getting higher. In the later stage of seedling growth, the stem weight was higher in the earthworm cast mixed treatment than that in the control. 5. There was no significant difference on biological dry matter yield in the earlier stage of this study, however in the later stage, it was higher in the earthworm cast mixed treatment than that in the control.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.185-194
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of feeding earthworm meal on the meat safety and performance of broiler chicks. A total of 60 broiler chicks at 7 days of age were fed the commercial diet and water until 47 days of age, earthworm meal divided into three treatments, 0% (control), 0.4% (treatment-1) and 0.6% (treatment-2) of dry earthworm meal. The body weight gain and feed/gain tend to be increase fed a 0.4 to 0.6% than 0% of earthworm meal. The effects tended to be higher in 0.4% than 0.6% of earthworm meal. As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb were detected at level of 4.41, 1.23, 1.18, 0.00 and 3.39ppm in earthworm meal, respectively, but those were not detected in the chicken meat (breast and thigh meat). It was assumed that supplementing 0.4% of earthworm meal in the broiler diet, improved the performance of broiler chicks and it still did not affect meat safety.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.731-742
• /
• 2014

In the current study, we investigated effects of a combination of earthworm casting, environment-friendly by-product fertilizer, and cultivation soil of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii in a heavy fertilizing culture on diameter, height, numbers of tubercles, and chemical properties of soil thereby elucidating optimal mixture ratio for securing production as well as providing nutrients throughout cultivation period. The Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var 'Ihong', one of grafted cactus for export (Rootstock: 9 cm, Scion: $1.5{\times}1.3cm$ grafted cactus) was cultured in plastic houses of Agricultural Technology Center located in Naegok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul from June, 2013 through December, 2013. For the control group, a mixture of sand and fertilizer (50:50) was used as this ratio is widely utilized in farmhouses. In contrast, a variety mixtures of sand and earthworm casting that was produced with food wastes was compared; the mixture ratios were 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100 and pH for these mixtures were found to be similar each other (ranging between 7.1 and 7.4) which is in an appropriate range (pH 6.5-7.5) for cultivation of G. mihanovichii. The organic content was increasing along with increasing contents of earthworm casting ratio while it was lower than the treatment practice group (32-43 mg/kg vs. 55 mg/kg). The content of exchangeable cation was also increasing as the ratio of earthworm casting was elevated; although levels of $K^+$, $Na^+$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were lower than the treatment practice group, the level of $Ca^{2+}$ was higher ($9.1cmol^+/kg$ and $11.5-33.7cmol^+/kg$ in the treatment practice group and the earthworm casting group, respectively). Three months after grafting, diameters of G. mihanovichii were compared with the control group; consequently, there was a significant difference noted in between the earthworm casting group and the control group (31.39 mm vs. 32.46-37.59 mm). After 5 months, growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii were evaluated. Similarly, the diameter of G. mihanovichii was significantly increasing in the group with higher ratio of earthworm casting treatment (32.63 mm vs. 32.49-37.59 mm). The height of tubercles was 2.63 mm in the control group while it was significantly elevating along with the ratio of earthworm casting mixture. The more numbers of tubercles, the more incomes for farm-houses; as results, higher mixture ration of earthworm casting resulted more numbers of tubercles compared to the control group (2.7 vs. 3.2-8.3 ea). In particular, in the earthworm casting groups with 80% and 100% ratios, the numbers of tubercles were 6.2 and 8.3 ea, respectively, which is 2.5 times more than those of the control group. These results indicate that earthworm casting treatment may be utilized in G. mihanovichii farming houses for short term production of tubercles. In the group with 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture, the numbers of tubercles were found to be 4.5 and 4.8 ea, respectively which is higher than the control group as well; in these groups, there were no issues with soil drainage as well as moss formation. Given the analysis results of growth characteristics of G. mihanovichii, it was concluded that 40% and 60% of earthworm casting mixture might be the optimal ratios.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2009

The feasibility of earthworm protease as a new cosmetic material for human hair care was investigated. The effectiveness of the earthworm protease treatment was assessed by thickness change of hairs, optical microscope examination, aminoacid analysis, surface morphology, angular resolution analysis through methylene blue staining method and tensile strength change. The protease treated hair became thinner and the soil on the surface removed in experimental groups unlike control group. Tensile strength decreased in experimental group in which the enzymes may decompose polypeptide bonds.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2009

The effects of the processing mixture of pig manure and various organic wastes on the growth, cast production of earthworm, and conversion of organic matter to earthworm tissues by vermicomposting. The substances used in this experiments were sawdust, rice hull, coffee waste, brewery waste, litters, turfgrass cutting residues, rice bran, vegetable wastes and rice straw and were mixed with pig manure at a ratios of 50:50 (v/v), and pig manure 100% (control), respectively. The highest values of growth parameters, cast production and conversion efficiency of organic matter to earthworm tissues were obtained at the mixtures of pig manure with coffee waste, it may due to the favourable diet conditions to process with pig manure by vermicomposting. But, all of the earthworm died in the pig manure 100% (control) and pig manure with vegetable wastes treatments by vermicomposting was impossible in this experiment. The vermicast contained a higher values of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity than their parent materials with increased availability of nutrients and improved physicochemical properties.