Advances and challenges of medicine and food homology earthworms: active ingredients, efficacy and quality control

Background: Earthworms are multifunctional resources used in both food and medicine, with anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antitumor, and immune-regulating properties. As demand for natural health products rises, interest in the clinical and nutritional applications of earthworm-derived materials has grown. However, the complexity of their bioactive components and diverse pharmacological effects, combined with inconsistent quality across sources, highlight the need for further evaluation. Concerns remain about the safety, efficacy, and standardization of these materials, which are compounded by low industry standardization, limited market awareness, outdated technology, and insufficient policy support. Scope and approach: This review systematically summarizes the current research progress on the active ingredients, pharmacological efficacy, and quality control strategies of earthworm raw materials, with emphasis on the major challenges encountered in their industrial application. Particular focus is given to issues such as variability in raw material sources, non-standardized processing methods, and the absence of unified evaluation criteria. Moreover, critical risk factors on the safety and quality of earthworm-derived products for medicinal and food use. Key findings and conclusions: This study proposes a systematic evaluation framework for quality control of earthworm raw materials from the perspective of medicine and food homology. It also presents sta The study concludes that establishing a rigorous and comprehensive quality assessment and regulatory system is essential for the safe and effective integration of earthworm-based products into modern healthcare and food systems, offering both theoretical and practical guidance for the sustainable development of the industry standardized recommendations aligned with industrial development needs across different application scenarios.