A taxonomic study comparing the two types of medicinal leeches available in Iraq Khalid Islam1, Nayyef Najah Sobhi2, Merkhan Marwan M.3,* 1College of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq 2College of Science, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq 3College of Pharmacy, Ninevah University, Mosul, Iraq *Corresponding Author E-mail: marwanmerkhan@uomosul.edu.iq
Online published on 14 June, 2022. Abstract Medical leeches are ectoparasites invertebrates which are widely used in medical and surgical treatments because it was found since the ancient time that many diseases can be cured by medicinal leeches, then it was discovered that leech saliva contains anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, and even anticancer enzymes, also they found that medicinal leeches have a great role in treating diabetic ulcers. Tow samples of leeches were collected from two regions in Iraq from September to the end of December 2020. These samples were examined a live by dissecting microscope and then they were examined after fixing them in formaldehyde 5%. The samples of leeches that were used to analyze their genetic DNA were fixed and preserved in absolute ethanol. The classification process was done through a molecular diagnosis of samples of medical leeches by using polymerase chain reaction PCR and technique tracking nitrogenous bases in the nucleic acid chain, and the molecular diagnosis depending on Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), and then the result of PCR of medical leech samples was sent with the primers of the resulting bands and the gene sequences were read depending on the Genetic Analyser Device 3130 supplied by Japanese Hitachi company. Then the gene sequences were matched with gene sequences documented in the National Center Biotechnology Information NCBI. The results were analyzed depending on the BLAST program through which two types of medical leeches were detected Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbena. Top Keywords Leeches, Hirudo medicinalis, Hirudo verbena, PCR. Top |