Effects of mammalian blood with different glucose levels on reproduction, growth and survival of the southern medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Access Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are generally fed using pure mammalian blood. In the present study repro-duction, growth and survival of medicinal leeches (Hirudo spp.) fed by mammalian blood with modified glucose level were investigated for the first time. Leeches were fed by cattle blood in a final glucose level of 152 mg/dL (control group; Glucose-free), 200 mg/dL (G200 group), 300 mg/dL (G300 group), 500 mg/dL (G500 group), 750 mg/dL (G750 group), 1000 mg/dL (G1000 group), 2500 mg/dL (G2500 group) and 5000 mg/dL (G5000 group) with the addition of D -Glucose Monohydrate. Greatest growth performance was determined in the G2500 group with a specific growth rate of 2.34% (final body weight: 10.37 & PLUSMN; 3.86 g) (P < 0.05). A quadratic increase was observed in the body weight values of the leeches depending on the glucose dose (Plinear and Pquadratic < 0.05). The greatest survival and gravidity rates were 89% and 38%, respectively, in the G750 group (P < 0.05). The increased glucose level caused a sharp decrease in the survival and gravidity rates of leeches. The glucose level did not significantly effected the cocoon and offspring productivity (P > 0.05). According to the broken line model, optimum glucose levels based on growth, survival rate and gravidity rate were 2461 mg/dL, 750.0 mg/dL and 749.9 mg/dL, respectively. The study showed that, although the optimum growth performance was obtained in the G2500 group, blood with glucose level of 750 mg/dL should be used for profitable medicinal leech culture considering survival and gravidity rates.
Description
Keywords
Leechculture, Survival, Gravidity, CocoonOffspring
Journal or Series
Animal Reproduction Science
WoS Q Value
Q1
Scopus Q Value
Q1
Volume
243
