Hirudo

Hirudo, a genus of leeches (class Hirudinea, family Gnathobdellidae), is traditional medicinal aquatic animal that live in most fresh water environments. Medicinal hirudo has the efficacy of breaking blood, removing blood stasis and restoring menstrual flow which recorded in Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic, Compendium of Materia Medica and Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The hirudo preparation shows great prospect in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and cancer in recent years.

 

Almost 500 species of hirudos are currently recognized, of which 93 are discovered in China. According to its feeding habits, hirudo is divided into two groups:bloodsucking and non-bloodsucking hirudos. The main composition of hirudo are protein, polypeptide, microelement and fatty acid. Its protein content reaches as high as 62%. The bloodsucking hirudo contains various low molecular peptides composed of amino acids which plays an important role in pesticide effect and healthcare function.

 

 

Hirudin

It was John Haycraft who discovered that the leech secreted a powerful anticoagulant, which he named Hirudin in 1884.

 

Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of medicinal leeches that is made up of 65 to 66 amino acids. It prevents or dissolves the formation of clots and thrombi, and has therapeutic value in phlebothrombosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation,cerebral thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and coronary thrombosis.Hirudin is the most potent natural inhibitor of thrombin, together with insulin and artemisinin, are considered as the Three Great Factors to save humanity.