Karatas, EminCeylan, MustafaDernekbasi, Seval2025-03-232025-03-2320220378-43201873-2232https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2022.107030https://hdl.handle.net/11486/6711Medicinal 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.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessLeechcultureSurvivalGravidityCocoonOffspringArticle24310.1016/j.anireprosci.2022.10703035780744Q1WOS:000827257400002Q1