Earthworms, small crawling creature, also bring a lot of benefits to the lands they crawl. They are known for their ability to enrich soils. What makes the long earthworms so good at enriching soils has remained unknown since long? But recently a team of researchers claims that they have finally found an answer to it.

The researchers stated that the fallen leaves that are eaten up by the earthworms contain toxic chemicals which can be harmful for other animals who consume it. But these crawling creatures easily munch these leaves and add great benefits to soils.

A report from Livemint showed that a team of researchers in a recent research have found that earthworms can generate a unique compound in their guts that helps the creature to counteract plant toxins designed to fend off hungry plant scavengers.

Findings of the study published in the journal Nature Communications showed that earthworms create a unique class of metabolites called ‘drilodefensins’. Researchers during the study also analyzed earthworm’s guts with a molecular microscope to figure out just how the creatures were able to digest the dangerous chemicals found in the plants they consume.

Researchers at the Imperial College of London identified drilodefensins in the stomachs of 14 different earthworm species. They found those earthworms’ close relatives like leeches and sewage worms lacked drilodefensins.

According to researchers, earthworms prevent leaves from piling up on ground by further decomposing dead plant matter and returning stored carbon and other nutrients back to the soil.

Earthworms and their drilodefensins are essential to the nutrient cycles that keep ecosystems running smoothly, they added.