Components of Medicinal leech saliva that exert effects in the host's body are:
Hirudin
Inhibits blood coagulation by binding to thrombin
Calin
Inhibits blood coagulation by blocking the binding of von Willebrand factor to collagen. Inhibits collagen- mediated platelet aggregation
Destabilase
Monomerizing activity. Dissolves fibrin. Thrombolytic effects
Hirustasin
Inhibits kallikrein, trypsin, chymotrypsin, neutropholic cathepsin G
Bdellins
Anti-inflammatory. Inhibits trypsin, plasmin, acrosin
Hyaluronidase
Increases interstitial viscosity. Antibiotic
Tryptase inhibitor
Inhibits proteolytic enzymes of host mast cells
Eglins
Anti-inflammatory. Inhibit the activity of alpha-chymotrypsin, chymase, substilisin, elastase, cathepsin G
Factor Xa inhibitor
Inhibits the activity of coagulation factor xa by forming equimolar complexes
Complement inhibitors
May possibly replace natural complement inhibitors if they are deficient
Carboxypeptidase A inhibitors
Increases the inflow of blood at the bite site
Histaminelike substances
Vasodilator. Increases the inflow of blood at the bite site
Acetylcholine
Vasodilator
Anesthetics subsctance
Anesthetic
There are lots of bioactive substances in Medicinal Leeches. These bioactive substances are used in Cosmetics and Pharmacies.
Bioactive substances of the Medicinal Leeches:
1.
Hirudin
2.
Hyaluronidase
3.
Pseudohirudin
4.
Destabilase
5.
Apyrase
6.
Bdellines
7.
Eglines
8.
Kininases
9.
Histamine-like substances
10.
Collagenase
11.
Leech prostanoids
12.
Inhibitor of kallikrein of the blood plasma
13.
Proteases
14.
Lipolytic enzymes
15.
Intibitor of Xa factor of the blood coagulation
16.
Triglyceridase
17.
Cholesterol esterase
18.
Lipase