The fatty acid composition of the lipids of earthworms

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Abstract
Lipids were freshly extracted from earthworms from agricultural pasture land, and fatty acid compositiona analyses were carried out on the total lipids; phospholipids; triglycerides; free fatty acids; mixed sterol esters, wax esters, free methyl esters, etc.; glycolipids; and neutrallipids. A wide variety of fatty acids ranging from C10 to C32 were identified. In the fatty acids of the total lipids, polyunsaturated constituents predominated in amount, while monomethyl branched, isoprenoid and n‐odd‐numbered acids were present in appreciable proportions. Eicosa‐5,8,11,14,17‐pentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid occurred at higher levels than any other components and were located mostly in the phospholipids. Significant contents of linoleic and linolenic acids were also detected. Earthworms collected in spring had a fatty acid composition which differed noticeably from that of worms from other seasons. The content of lauric acid during spring was much higher than that normally found in animals or pasture plants. The composition of the free fatty acids indicated that these components were the products of lipolysis and were derived from all the lipid classes. The results of this investigation suggest that the diet of local earthworms, which is reported to consist mainly of dead plant material, is supplemented by living and dead microorganisms from ingested soil.