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Leech secretions contain several bioactive substances with anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and antimicrobial effects. [70] One active component of leech saliva is a small protein, hirudin. [72] It is widely used as an anticoagulant drug to treat blood-clotting disorders, and manufactured by recombinant DNA technology. [73] [74]
The stomach connects to an intestine, followed by a colon, a rectum, and finally an anus located on the leech's back. M. decora, like all leeches, is hermaphroditic, and has ten testisacs and two ovisacs, in addition to male and female genital pores. First described by Thomas Say in 1824, the species is now placed in the genus Macrobdella.
Potentiates CNS sedatives, [3] chronic use might cause a reversible dry skin condition. [18] Khat: qat Catha edulis: Chronic liver dysfunction [3] [19] Kratom: Mitragyna speciosa: Hepatotoxicity [20] [19] Liquorice root Glycyrrhiza glabra: Hypokalemia, hypertension, arrhythmias, edema [5] Lobelia: asthma weed, pukeweed, vomit wort Lobelia inflata
Placobdelloides siamensis is a species of blood-feeding jawless leech in the family Glossiphoniidae. [1] [2] It is commonly known as the Siam shield leech and is a prevalent ectoparasite on Malayemys turtles but has a range of Geoemydidae hosts. In high numbers it can cause severe anaemia and malnutrition which can lead to the death of its host ...
Hirudo medicinalis, or the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches. Other species of Hirudo sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include H. orientalis , H. troctina , and H. verbana .
During a blood meal, a leech rhythmically contracts its muscles to draw blood from a host animal into the crop for storage. It can consume over five times its own weight in blood in one feeding. Once satiated, a leech detaches from its host. Hirudo verbana uses anticoagulants when it feeds, so its bite wounds continue bleeding for some time ...
"Jawed leeches" - termed "Gnathobdellae" or "Gnathobdellida" - are exclusively found among the Hirudiniformes, but the order contains a number of jawless families as well. The jawed, toothed forms make up the aquatic Hirudidae and the terrestrial Haemadipsidae and Xerobdellidae (sometimes included in the preceding but worthy of recognition as ...
Hirudinea, whose name means "leech-shaped" and whose best known members are leeches. [8] Marine species are mostly blood-sucking parasites, mainly on fish, while most freshwater species are predators. [13] They have suckers at both ends of their bodies, and use these to move rather like inchworms. [15]