Biomaterial Database

[Use of earthworms as a protein supplement in diets for rabbits]. 1988

M S Orozco Almanza, and M E Ortega Cerrilla, and F Pérez-Gil Romo

Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México, D.F.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the nutritive value of earthworms as protein feed in rabbit rations. Earthworm meal was obtained from Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. Its proximate chemical composition, amino acid composition and protein digestibility in vitro were determined. In addition, growing rabbits were fed a diet containing 30% of the total protein as earthworm meal, diet which was compared with a control diet containing soybean meal as protein feed. Both diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion and apparent digestibility were measured. Results showed high protein (50.86%) and fat (10.16%) contents, and low fiber percentage (2.67%). Amino acids content including the essential, and in vitro protein digestibility percentage were similar to fish and meat meals and higher than soybean meal. There were no differences in feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion. Apparent digestibility was 5.09% higher (P less than 0.05) with the diet containing earthworm meal than with the control diet. It was concluded that it is possible to substitute 30% of the protein in the diet of growing rabbits, with earthworm meal, without any adverse physiological effects. Similar results to those achieved when conventional protein supplements are used for rabbit rations, were obtained.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009753	Nutritive Value	An indication of the contribution of a food to the nutrient content of the diet. This value depends on the quantity of a food which is digested and absorbed and the amounts of the essential nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins) which it contains. This value can be affected by soil and growing conditions, handling and storage, and processing.	Biological Availability, Nutritional,Nutritional Availability,Availability, Biological Nutritional,Availability, Nutritional Biologic,Biologic Availability, Nutritional,Biologic Nutritional Availability,Nutrition Value,Nutritional Availability, Biologic,Nutritional Availability, Biological,Nutritional Biological Availability,Nutritional Food Quality,Nutritional Quality,Nutritional Value,Nutritive Quality,Availability, Biologic Nutritional,Availability, Nutritional,Availability, Nutritional Biological,Biological Nutritional Availability,Food Quality, Nutritional,Nutrition Values,Nutritional Biologic Availability,Nutritional Values,Nutritive Values,Quality, Nutritional,Quality, Nutritional Food,Quality, Nutritive,Value, Nutrition,Value, Nutritional,Value, Nutritive,Values, Nutrition,Values, Nutritional,Values, Nutritive
D009835	Oligochaeta	A class of annelid worms with few setae per segment. It includes the earthworms such as Lumbricus and Eisenia.	Earthworms,Eisenia foetida,Eisenia worm,Lumbricus,Lumbricus terrestris,Eisenia fetida,Earthworm,Eisenia fetidas,Eisenia foetidas,Eisenia worms,Lumbricus terrestri,Oligochaetas,fetida, Eisenia,foetidas, Eisenia,terrestris, Lumbricus,worm, Eisenia
D011817	Rabbits	A burrowing plant-eating mammal with hind limbs that are longer than its fore limbs. It belongs to the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, and in contrast to hares, possesses 22 instead of 24 pairs of chromosomes.	Belgian Hare,New Zealand Rabbit,New Zealand Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit, Domestic,Chinchilla Rabbits,NZW Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,Chinchilla Rabbit,Domestic Rabbit,Domestic Rabbits,Hare, Belgian,NZW Rabbit,Rabbit, Chinchilla,Rabbit, NZW,Rabbit, New Zealand,Rabbits, Chinchilla,Rabbits, Domestic,Rabbits, NZW,Rabbits, New Zealand,Zealand Rabbit, New,Zealand Rabbits, New,cuniculus, Oryctolagus
D004044	Dietary Proteins	Proteins obtained from foods. They are the main source of the ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS.	Proteins, Dietary,Dietary Protein,Protein, Dietary
D005433	Flour	A powdery meal obtained from ground up starchy foodstuff, such as seeds of WHEAT; RICE and other EDIBLE GRAIN; LEGUMES; and NUTS; or ground up PLANT TUBERS.	Almond Flour,Almond Meal,Corn Flour,Corn Meal,Grain Flour,Grain Meal,Nut Flour,Potato Flour,Rice Flour,Rice Meal,Soybean Flour,Soybean Meal,Wheat Flour,Wheat Meal,Semolina Flour,Almond Flours,Almond Meals,Corn Flours,Corn Meals,Flour, Almond,Flour, Corn,Flour, Grain,Flour, Nut,Flour, Potato,Flour, Rice,Flour, Semolina,Flour, Soybean,Flour, Wheat,Flours,Flours, Almond,Flours, Corn,Flours, Grain,Flours, Nut,Flours, Potato,Flours, Rice,Flours, Semolina,Flours, Soybean,Flours, Wheat,Grain Flours,Grain Meals,Meal, Almond,Meal, Corn,Meal, Grain,Meal, Rice,Meal, Soybean,Meal, Wheat,Meals, Almond,Meals, Corn,Meals, Grain,Meals, Rice,Meals, Soybean,Meals, Wheat,Nut Flours,Potato Flours,Rice Flours,Rice Meals,Semolina Flours,Soybean Flours,Soybean Meals,Wheat Flours,Wheat Meals
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000821	Animal Feed	Foodstuff used especially for domestic and laboratory animals, or livestock.	Fodder,Animal Feeds,Feed, Animal,Feeds, Animal,Fodders