The Kuplevsky Lviv Biofactory of Leeches
Before modern technologies of growing leeches, there were farms that were ordinary ponds or open-air pits. The first such farms for growing leeches were founded in 1825. In these farms, up to 600 thousand leeches were kept. In Kharkiv, in the 50s of the XIX century, there were two leech farms and many small farms. Most often, the breeding leeches was carried out as an addition to fish breeding (salmon). In the second half of the XIX century, at the dawn of the development of pharmaceuticals and biochemistry, the interest in leeches on the part of medicine fell sharply. Minor needs were replenished by leeches caught in wild reservoirs.
Only in the middle of the XX century, when the pharmaceutical market became synthetic, the doctors and patients returned back to nature. Herbal treatment ( phytotherapy ), treatent bees ( apitherapy ), and leeches ( hirudotherapy ) bacame popular again. The leeches were caught in the largest quantities. Hundreds of thousands were exported to European countries.
Uncontrolled catching of leeches and reckless amelioration have led to a sharp decline in the population or complete disappearance in natural reservoirs. In 1984, the species hirudo medicinalis was listed in the Red Book; according to the decision of the International Committee for the Conservation of Endangered Species, since 1997, it is prohibited to catch medicinal leeches in natural reservoirs for sale.
Nowadays, various methods for growing medicinal leeches in artificial conditions are developed and successfully used. They are based on creating conditions that are as close to natural as possible, but in sterile laboratory conditions.
One of the few biofactories to grow leeches is the biofactory of leeches , which is located in the center of Europe in the ancient city of Lviv.
The Kuplevsky Lviv Biofactory of Leeches is a well-known supplier of hirudo medicinalis to medical centers, hospitals, pharmacies, and so on inUkraine, the Baltic States, the countries of Europe, Israel. Unique Lviv technology makes it possible to successfully replenish the needs of clinics with medicinal leeches. Leeches of the type of hirudo medicinalis, subspecies of medicinalis or officinalis, which have been grown under biofactory conditions, in compliance with the relevant sanitary norms are allowed for medical use.
Pharmacists, biologists, engineers work at the Lviv Biofactory of the Leeches. The cultivation technology is unique and includes the experience of our ancestors and modern assets of civilization.
SOME OF THE MAIN MOMENTS FROM THEORY OF GROWING MEDICINAL LEECHES:
- Leech-dam weighs about 10-25 grams.
- Dams ready for mating are placed in containers of different volumes, filled with water to half in the amount of 20-100 individuals
- The period of their stay in water is 40 days, with the temperature within 24-26 degrees C.
- Pregnant leeches are transferred to moisturized peat, moss. After that, during 1-1,5 months, they lay cocoons. The temperature should be high – 27 degrees C.
- Leeches are hermaphrodites, they have both male and female organs.
- From the cocoons, young leeches are born in the form of thin threads, which are released into the water, some cocoons can be sterile in general. Threads that are hatched from a cocoon can last no longer than 3 months. They need to be fed with blood.
- To get a leech in size and weight of 0.8-1.5 grams acceptable for hirudotherapy , it takes about 10-12 months to grow. After that, the leech must starve for 4-6 months for a good therapeutic effect (at this time, it actively produces and accumulates enzymes.
It is not very difficult to get cocoons, but the further feeding of young leeches, that is, threads up to 1-2 grams, is a very difficult and costly process, because it takes a lot of time for care, water, electricity, heating.
The Kuplevsky Lviv Biofactory has been involved in the wholesale of medicinal leeches for more than 15 years. All products have a quality certificate. You can buy medicinal leeches in any quantity, starting from 20 leeches.
In order to begin the treatment with leeches , we strongly recommend to go to a consultation with a doctor-hirudotherapist, who will find out whether you should start the therapy with leeches, make the necessary tests for blood and urine. After consultation with the doctor, with a positive conclusion you have to decide – whether to treat with a doctor (it is usually more expensive but more reliable) or to treat with leeches at home. For this, you need to buy leeches at the pharmacy, at the doctor, at the points of sale of leeches at hospitals, or at the biofactory of leeches.
+38 050 980 48 17 or buy leeches in our store www.biofab-kup.com
In Ukraine, we deliver medicinal leeches by rail, by bus, by route taxis, by transport companies (Nova Poshta, Avtolux, Intime ,Ukrposhta). Transport delivery is at our expense. Delivery by transport companies is at the expense of the buyer. In packages with leeches, on demand, we will place a quality certificate, instructions on parsing the parcel, a book on hirudotherapy (price 160 UAH or 6 $), a gift (an ointment with a leech essense – price 2 $)
