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Abstract

This in-vitro antidiabetic and cytotoxic activity of earthworm Lumbricus rubellus extracts were investigated. In the present study, three types of solvent (petroleum ether, 95% ethanol and phosphate buffer) extracts of earthworm paste were prepare and subjected to preliminary screening. The antidiabetic activity was determined in terms of its ability to inhibit the α-amylase activity. Different concentrations ranging from 100-1000µg/mL of earthworm extracts were incubated with enzyme substrate solution and subjected in the determination of absorbance to assess the antidiabetic activity. Also Acarbose was used as the standard inhibitor. The 95% ethanol extracts showed the highest percentage inhibition of α-amylase activity, followed by petroleum ether and phosphate buffer. The IC50 value of 95% ethanol, petroleum ether and phosphate buffer extracts were 242.46µg/mL, 304.15µg/mL and 689.68µg/mL respectively, when compared with Acarbose (IC50 value 193.68µg/mL). The cytotoxic activity was determined towards brine shrimp lethality assay. Different concentrations ranging from 10-100µg/mL of earthworm extracts were subjected to determine the mortality of brine shrimps. Potassium dichromate was used as positive control. Results showed that the petroleum ether extract was potent against the brine shrimp with LC50 values of 7.13µg/mL, followed by 95% ethanol extract (7.28µg/mL) and phosphate buffer extract (73.50µg/mL). While the positive control exhibited LC50 value with 11.96µg/mL. The antidiabetic and cytotoxic activity of the earthworm paste produced by Lumbricus rubellus seems to be a promising new direction in drug delivery research.