title: Antibacterial activity of the indigenous earthworms Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) and Perionyx excavatus (Perrier).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Earthworms respond to microbial infection through cellular and humoral defense mechanisms such as antimicrobial protein secretions. Most of the humoral defense proteins are synthesized in the skin itself.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, a dried powder was prepared from two indigenous earthworms (Lampito mauritii and Perionyx excavatus) and tested against two gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and five gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dried earthworm powder of two species shows a strong antibacterial activity against the S. aureus, P. mirabilis, and P. aeruginosa bacterial strains. Of these, the 60 μg/mL/disc of P. excavatus earthworm powder shows more activity than the L. mauritii.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, TamilNadu, India. dnaprakash@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Mani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: Govindarajan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunasekaran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011208:Powders; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011208:Powders; D011506:Proteins