Protease inhibitors in Haementeria leech species.

Inhibitors, of trypsin, plasmin, alpha-chymotrypsin and granulocyte elastase were demonstrated in salivary gland extracts from two species of leeches. Haementeria ghilianii and Haementeria officinalis. Preliminary fractionation of salivary gland extracts from Haementeria ghilianii allowed separation of protease inhibitors from hementin a fibrinogenolytic blood anticoagulant. It was found that the anticoagulant activity resided only in hementin-containing fractions and did not parallel protease inhibitory activity.