Modern pharmacological research:
It mainly contains protein, and also contains many trace elements such as iron, manganese and zinc. The saliva of fresh leech contains an anticoagulant substance called hirudin, which belongs to polypeptide. Because its molecular composition does not contain tryptophan and arginine, it has anticoagulant effect. But hirudin has been destroyed in dried medicinal materials. Leech saliva also secretes histamine-like substances, heparin and antithrombin, which has synergistic effect with hirudin.
Extended data
Historically, leeches were mainly caught by nature. Due to the abuse of pesticides and fertilizers, as well as the environmental pollution caused by industrial and agricultural "three wastes", wild natural resources have dropped sharply. With the further development of medicinal value of leech, its market demand potential is huge.
1995 or so, natural fry began to be caught in southern China, and artificial feeding was successful for the first time. Due to seed and technical reasons, there is no breeding in the northern region.
Appearance: the body length is slightly flat, and at first glance it looks like a cylinder. It is about 2 ~ 2.5 cm long and 2 ~ 3 mm wide. The back is green with black, with five yellow longitudinal stripes, and the abdomen is flat, gray-green, and there are no spots. The overall ring pattern is remarkable, and the body segment is composed of five rings, each of which has the same width.
There are 10 eyes, which are arranged in a ∩ shape. There are three semicircular jaws in the mouth to form a Y-shape. When sucking animals, the jaw is drilled into the skin to suck blood, and the blood is stored in the whole digestive tract and blind sac from pharynx to esophagus.
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