Preliminary study on leech crude extract as an anti-coagulant agent

Hirudin is the generic name for a family of closely related homologous peptides that are all found in the cranial salivary glands of medicinal leech (Wallis, 1996). In 1984, the blood thinning agent (anticoagulant) hirudin was isolated for the first time from leech salivary glands (Weinnberg, 1994),Today, hirudin is the most specific and active of known thrombin inhibitors not influencing on other peptidases (Hofsteenge and Stone,1987).Hirudinea sp. (Buffalo Leech) was used for the isolation of hirudin for anti-coagulant application. The leech crude extract was prepared by using conventional method and tested to fresh rabbit bllod. The time of blood clotting was recorded by using a drop method (Prakasam et. al.,2005).Three replicated were applied for each treatment. The results showed that the rabbit blood treated with leech crude extract was prepared by using conventional method and rested to fresh rabbit blood.