Antipyretic Effects of Earthworm Extracts on Peptone-Induced Fever in Mice

Abstract

Fever, defined as a body temperature elevation exceeding 37.5°C, is a hallmark of numerous pathological conditions. Lumbricus rubellus, commonly known as the earthworm, has been implicated in the amelioration of fever, particularly in response to infection by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi. Commercially available earthwormderived formulations are purported to exert a broad-spectrum antipyretic effect, extending beyond bacterial etiologies. This investigation employed a controlled, beforeand-after experimental design to elucidate the antipyretic potential of earthworm extracts on mice subjected to peptone-induced hyperthermia. Upon verification of a peptoneinduced body temperature increase above 37.5°C in mice, interventions were administered orally across three cohorts: a test group receiving earthworm extract suspension, a positive control group provided with paracetamol syrup, and a negative control group receiving a Na-CMC suspension. The primary outcome, alterations in body temperature, was statistically evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The Kruskal-Wallis test, utilized for assessing variance across multiple groups, yielded a p-value of 0.000 within the test group, indicative of a significant deviation in mean body temperature post-administration of the earthworm extract. Subsequent analysis with the Mann-Whitney test, comparing the degree of temperature reduction at 60 minutes post-intervention between the earthworm extract and paracetamol syrup groups, manifested a p-value of 0.017. This result suggests a statistically significant disparity, with the most pronounced temperature decrease observed in the earthworm extract cohort, followed by the paracetamol group. The Na-CMC administered cohort displayed no significant antipyretic effect. Observational data indicate that the antipyretic effect of earthworm extract significantly induced acetaminophen in an induction hyperthermia model. Copyright: