Escherichia coli enteritis causes substantial economic losses in animal husbandry, while antibiotic treatments face challenges of resistance and residue. This study investigated earthworm hydrolysate (EH) as a potential antibiotic alternative. In vitro assays demonstrated potent antibacterial activity of EH against E. coli , with an inhibition zone diameter of 12.24 ± 0.45 mm, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 375 μg/mL, and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 750 μg/mL. An in vivo enteritis model was established via intraperitoneal injection of E. coli (1 × 10 7 CFU/mL). Three-day EH treatment effectively alleviated intestinal injury, improved mucosal architecture (increased villus height/crypt depth ratio), and upregulated tight junction protein (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1) expression. Mechanistically, EH downregulated the levels and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-2) and inhibited the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway (reduced p-p38, p-JNK, and p-ERK). Furthermore, EH modulated gut microbiota composition, increasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and beneficial genera (Bacteroides, Lactobacillus), while reducing Proteobacteria and pathogenic genera (Helicobacter, Desulfovibrio). In conclusion, EH exerts therapeutic effects against E. coli enteritis through multi-target mechanisms involving antibacterial action, MAPK-mediated anti-inflammatory activity, intestinal barrier restoration, and microbiota modulation, offering a promising antibiotics alternative for managing intestinal infections.
Kang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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