Effects of Chinese herbal residues of Huang Huo oral liquid coupled with cow dung on the growth, reproduction and gene expression of earthworms

Abstract

This study aims to solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by dung and herbal residues left after the extraction of the effective components of Chinese herbal medicine. Herbal residues of Huang Huo oral liquid, Astragalus membranaceus and Epimedium coupled with cow dung were used in breeding earthworms. Earthworm growth and reproduction indices were recorded and transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes was carried out between earthworms in control group and herbal residues groups. The results showed that herbal residues promoted the growth and reproduction performance of earthworms. The differentially expressed genes in earthworms after the addition of herbal residues of Huang Huo oral liquid were associated with glucose fat and protein metabolic pathways, AMPK signaling pathway and oxytocin signaling pathway. In group D (control group), the up-regulated, differentially expressed genes inhibit glycogen, fatty acid and protein synthesis processes as well as cell growth processes. In group A, among the mostly down-regulated differentially expressed genes, the function of genes with transcript numbers Cluster-2829.0 and Cluster-30676.1 relates to the oxytocin signaling pathway in earthworms. The analysis showed that the gene expression of energy metabolism-related signaling pathway and oxytocin signaling pathway in earthworms was changed and the growth and reproduction function of earthworms was enhanced after the addition of 30% herbal residues of Huang Huo oral liquid. • Residues of Huang Huo Oral Liquid promote growth and reproduction of earthworms. • Three metabolic pathways modulate growth and reproduction of earthworms. • Oxytocin signaling pathway affects the growth and reproduction of earthworms.