Anticancer Potential of Lyophilised Medicinal Leech (Hirudo verbana) of Saliva Extract Against Pancreatic Cancer (MIA PaCa-2) Cell Lines

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular disease. It can affect any part of the body and spread to other organs. Pancreatic cancer is a tough disease to diagnose and treat. It is the fourteenth most common and the seventh deadliest cancer worldwide. New technology and innovative methods, combined with a range of therapeutic agents, have led to promising new anticancer treatments. The presence of various bioactive components in the secretions of medicinal leeches has prompted a re-evaluation of these organisms as a popular method in traditional medicine. In this study, the effect of the anticancer potential of Lyophilised medicinal leech secretion on pancreatic cancer cell line (MIA PaCa-2) was investigated using XTT assay. A cell viability test was conducted to ascertain the degree of cytotoxicity following the administration of varying concentrations of medicinal leech secretion to cell lines over a period of 24, 48, and 72 hours. The percentage viability of cancer cells was determined at each concentration. The doses were adjusted using dilution procedures with ratios of 75 µg/ml, 150 µg/ml, 300 µg/ml, 600 µg/ml, and 1200 µg/ml. IC50 value was determined at 24th hour: 484.48 µg/ml; at 48th hour: 330.92 µg/ml; at 72nd hour: 542,75 µg/ml. It was observed that the effect of Hirudo verbana leech secretion on pancreatic cancer (MIA PaCa-2) cell viability was not linear. It was determined that 600 µg/ml and 1200 µg/ml extracts had cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects. These results indicate that the leech saliva extract has anti proliferative and cytotoxic effects and may have a promising role in developing new anticancer drugs.