Citation
Aldarraji, Qasim Mohammed Matrood
(2013)
Extraction of phenolic compounds from earthworms Lumbricus rubellus and Eudrilus eugeniae (Authority) and evaluation of their antioxidant activities for cosmeceutical use.
Masters thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Abstract
Synthetic materials used in cosmetics products have adverse effects on the skin
causing skin irritation. Natural bioactive compounds have no adverse effects on the
skin or any other parts of the body. Cosmeceuticals are materials having natural
bioactive compounds that have medicinal benefits. Unlike drugs, Cosmeceuticals do
not have any adverse biological effects on the living tissues. The objectives of this
study were to extract the phenolic compounds present in the earthworm paste (EP)
of red worm (Lumbricus rubellus) and African night crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae) and
evaluation its antioxidant activity for Cosmeceutical use. The Folin-Ciocalteu
procedure was used to quantify the phenolic compounds. Identification of the
phenolic compounds in the earthworm paste was achieved by using highperformance
liquid chromatography (HPLC), followed by confirmation of
compounds using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC/MS). Tow types of solvent materials were used in the experiment: methanol and ethanol with different
concentration levels 80% and 75%. Type of solvent used at different concentration
levels had no effects on the total phenolic contents of the earthworm paste. In this
study, the earthworm paste from the red worm extract yielded higher amounts of
phenolic compounds than that of the African night crawler extract. HPLC analysis of
the phenolic compounds revealed the presence of phenolic acids, cinnamic and
benzoic acid derivatives, which were measured at 270, 280, 290, 300 and 325 nm.
These compounds included gallic, chlorogenic, salicylic, caffeic, syringic and pcoumaric
acids. The red worm extract had more phenolic acids than that of the
African night crawler extract. LC/MS confirmation showed two compounds in the
methanolic extract of the earthworm paste of the African night crawler. These
compounds were sinapic and caffeic acids. In the methanolic extract of the
earthworm paste of the red worm, four phenolic acids were confirmed according to
their molecular weight. The compounds were syringic, p- coumaric, gallic and ferulic
acids. The compounds identified were phenolic acids, which showed significant
antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of each extract was assessed using the
DPPH assay. All the extracts showed a strong antioxidant activity. The 75%
methanolic extract of the earthworm paste of the red worm exhibited stronger
antioxidant activity than that of 80% methanol and 80% ethanol. In contrast, 80%
methanolic extract of the earthworm paste of the African night crawler revealed the
strongest antioxidant activity. Earthworm extract of African night crawler revealed a
stronger antioxidant activity than that of the red worm extract. In conclusion,The
results shown that earthworms paste had notable amounts of phenolic compounds
with strong antioxidant activity.
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