Hirudin powder is the most active and well-studied of the many active ingredients that have been extracted from leeches and their salivary glands, and it is a small protein (peptide) consisting of 65-66 amino acids. Hirudin has a strong inhibitory effect on thrombin and is the strongest natural specific inhibitor of thrombin found to date.



Anticoagulant effect
Hirudin has a highly specific and efficient inhibitory effect on thrombin, which can directly inhibit thrombin and impede the protein hydrolysis function of thrombin, so it has an anticoagulant effect. Compared with heparin, hirudin dosage is small, does not cause bleeding, and does not depend on endogenous cofactors

Anti-thrombotic effects

Improving microcirculation and promoting metabolism
It can reduce the inflammatory reaction and edema around the brain tissue, relieve the rise of intracranial pressure, improve the local circulation, and facilitate the recovery of neurological function; it can also promote the absorption of experimental hematoma in the ear.

Improvement of cholesterol and triglycerides
Leech has a significant lowering effect on cholesterol and triglycerides in experimental hyperlipidemia. Hirudin has an inhibitory effect on tumor cells and has an inhibitory effect on liver cancer growth. Because of its high anticoagulant effect, leech facilitates the infiltration of anticancer drugs and immunologically active cells into cancerous tissues to kill cancer cells.

Anti-myocardial ischemia and tardive dyskinesia
Its aqueous extract has significant antagonistic effect on acute myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia; leechin intraperitoneal injection can increase nutritional blood flow. Hirudin solution by sedation can promote and reduce atrial fibrillation and peripheral inflammatory response, and similar results were found in experiments on subcutaneous hematoma.

Effects on diabetes mellitus and its complications
 
Prevalent in patients with type Il diabetes, accounting for almost 90% or more. Hirudin can act as an  sensitizer, which can enhance the body's sensitivity to its own , and it is its own that can be revived to fully function and bring down blood sugar; diabetes can destroy all blood vessel walls, produce inflammatory reactions and form blood clots, leading to necrosis of eyes, kidneys and lower limbs, etc. Hirudin can reduce the inflammatory reaction of blood vessel wall and prevent thrombosis.


Hirudin is a promising class of anticoagulant and anti-stasis drug, which can be used in the treatment of various thrombotic diseases, especially venous thrombosis and diffuse vascular coagulation; it can also be used to prevent the formation of arterial thrombosis after surgery, to prevent the formation of thrombus after dissolution of thrombus or after revascularization; to improve extracorporeal circulation and hemodialysis process. In microsurgery, which often fails due to vascular embolism at the anastomosis, the use of hirudin can promote wound healing. Research has also shown that hirudin can play a role in tumor treatment. It stops the metastasis of tumor cells and has proven efficacy in tumors such as fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, angiosarcoma, melanoma and leukemia. Hirudin can also be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to enhance the efficacy of treatment due to the promotion of blood flow in the tumor.