NUTRIENT CONTENT OF NATIVE EARTHWORM, EUTYPHOEUS GAMMIEI (BEDDARD) OF TRIPURA (INDIA)

Eutyphoeus gammiei (Beddard) is a large native earthworm which is commonly used as fish bait and feed of chicken in Tripura. Eutyphoeus tissue comprising of both body wall and gut wall contains 63.98% protein, 15.79% carbohydrate, 7.78% fat, 1.90% crude fiber and total ash 10.55%. The result showed that essential amino acid of earthworm tissue was dominated by lysine (1.45 g /100 g), methionine (1.56 g /100 g), valine (2.78 g /100 g) and leucine (5.52 g /100 g). The non essential amino acid of earthworm was dominated by glutamic acid (1.37 g /100 g) and ornithine (3.68 g /100 g). Interestingly, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids was relatively high (poly unsaturated fatty acids 26%, mono unsaturated fatty acids 27.4%). In poly unsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid (20: 4 ω -6) and linoleic acid (18: 2 ω -6) represented 36.39% and 29.50% respectively. Importance of essential amino acids and essential fatty acids in earthworm tissue for animal nutrition has been given in the present paper. Nutritionally important several minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper are also present in the tissue of Eutyphoeus gammiei. The results indicated that the native earthworm E. gammiei earthworm could be considered as food source alternative to fish meal and meat and a supplement for both human and livestock consumption in India in general and its north-eastern states in particular.