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The effect of blood and water containing Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria on the growth period of native Iranian medical leech (Hirudo orientalis) in vitro conditions
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Nilofar Parchami1   , Saeed Safavipour1 * , Hassam Mohabatkar2 , Mandana Behbahani1 |
1-Department of Biotechnology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran , damyar.info@gmail.com
2- Young Researchers and Elites Club of Iran, Isfahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran |
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Abstract: (38 Views) |
Introduction: Leeches are one of the aquatic mollusks that have been of interest in the field of traditional medicine and treatment since long ago. one of the problems of the leech breeders is the time of quarantine and blood digestion by the leech between two feed, which causes the leeches to grow later and reach the desired size to be presented to the market. Therefore, the use of advanced techniques for faster and higher quality leech larvae breeding from birth to the market stage is one of the most important goals of the leech industry. The use of probiotics in livestock and aquatic animals facilitates the digestion of feed, but so far no research has been conducted on the indigenous Iranian medicinal leech (Hirudo orientalis).our goal in this research is to reduce the growth period and increase the power of blood digestion by adding the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum as a nutritional supplement to the blood and water of leeches.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with seven treatments and five replications in laboratory conditions with a one-way statistical design. The treatments included blood and water each containing Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria with a concentration of 108 CFU/mL, 106 CFU/mL, and 104 CFU/mL, and the control group without any concentration of bacteria. after feeding, 1 ml of Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria with a certain concentration was added to 200 ml of water for three skin absorption treatments. For blood feeding of leeches, a container containing water at a temperature of 25 °C was used to maintain a constant water temperature in which the leeches were located. The blood temperature was 38 °C to provide optimal conditions for leeches to feed. For feeding, one container was filled with water at 48 °C and another container was placed on top of it, so that the bottom of the upper container was in contact with the water surface of the lower container, and then water at a temperature of 38 °C was poured into the upper container, and the blood that had been in a shaking incubator at a temperature of 38 °C for 5 minutes was poured into latex gloves.
Results and Discussion: the results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplement with a concentration of 108 CFU/mL through blood and also through skin absorption (dissolved in the water of leeches) had the greatest effect on the rapid digestion of consumed blood and the significant growth of leeches (p< 0.05), so it can be concluded that the use of some bacteria during leech breeding can increase farm productivity, shorten the growth period and accelerate the return on investment of leeche. However, based on relevant studies in aquatic animals and other animals, the following possible mechanisms can be deduced in leeches:
a) Improving the balance of the intestinal microbiome and inhibiting pathogens
b) Production of antimicrobial compounds:
c) Increasing the activity of leech digestive endocrine enzymes:
d) Strengthening intercellular bonds: Probiotics (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus) prevent the leakage of inflammatory compounds resulting from blood digestion into the leech body by increasing the production of tight junction proteins. They can also prevent damage to intestinal tissue and improve digestive health by reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF)
Conclusion: The importance of adaptation implicates the gut microbiome in vital functions of leeches, such as regulating blood digestion, nutrition, immune regulation, and growth rate. Simple, phylogenetically diverse models are essential to test the hypothesis because of the difficulty in determining causal relationships in complex gut microbiomes. But research on the effect of probiotics on blood digestion in medical leeches is still in its infancy. Therefore, leech farmers can use probiotics in the leech rearing stages and shorten the growth period by accelerating the digestion of blood consumed by leeches, and in addition to increasing the immunity of leeches to refeeding and reducing the quarantine period, this can increase the productivity of leech breeding and propagation farms. Overall, it can be concluded that probiotics probably improve the performance of leech breeding and propagation by improving the health of the stratum corneum, which is the site of storage and digestion of blood consumed by leeches, optimizing blood digestion and reducing inflammatory stress. However, the effectiveness depends on factors such as strain selection, dosage and environmental conditions (such as water temperature). |
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| Keywords: Iranian medical leech, leech farming, probiotics, Lactobacillus plantarum, Hirudo orientalis |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2024/10/2 | Accepted: 2025/07/15
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