The purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate retrospectively the distribution of intestinal parasites detected in patients who applied to Dicle University Medical Faculty Parasitology Laboratory between 2011-2020. Stool samples sent to the parasitology laboratory for parasite examination were examined by the native-Lugol method and the samples sent with cellophane tape were examined microscopically for parasite examination. In addition, modified acidfast and trichrome staining methods were used to identify protozoan. Parasites were detected in 5.99% of 60.501 stool samples sent to the parasitology laboratory. Blastocystis spp. (57.62%) was detected with the highest rate among positive samples, followed by 31.93% Giardia intestinalis, 3.75% Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, 2.37% Hymenolepis nana, 1.57% Fasciola spp., 0.91% Taenia saginata, 0.72% Enterobius vermicularis, 0.52% Cryptosporidium spp., 0.42% Cyclospora cayetanensis, 0.19 Ascaris lumbricoides were detected. Although the incidence of intestinal parasite infections in our study decreased over a ten-year period, it continues to maintain its importance. Therefore, to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasites; It is important to safeguarding clean water resources, solve infrastructure problems, and inform the public about sanitation rules.

Leech therapy is a biotherapeutic approach that has been traditionally used for centuries and is currently being re-evaluated in modern medicine. The efficacy of this treatment is attributed to various bioactive compounds found in leech saliva, which exhibit anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. It has been demonstrated that leech saliva possesses the potential to modulate inflammatory processes and apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, the therapeutic potential of the saliva of Hirudo verbana was evaluated, and its biological and pharmacological effects were comprehensively investigated. The anticancer effects, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory activity of the crude leech saliva were assessed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells and epithelial ovarian cancer cells. The chemical composition of the saliva was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, while the protein content was determined by the Bradford assay. Antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay, inflammatory effects were evaluated by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, and cell viability was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The findings revealed that crude leech saliva had a minimal effect on healthy cells but showed a selective effect on the viability of ovarian cancer cells. At low concentrations (3.13%), 99.16% of healthy cells remained viable, whereas this rate decreased to 89.25% in cancer cells; at high concentrations (50%), cell viability in cancer cells declined to 63.02%. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified compounds such as gibberellic acid and 6-[(4-methoxyphenyl)methoxy]-4,4,5,7,8-pentamethyl-3H-chromen-2-one, which demonstrated high affinity for the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Survivin in molecular docking analyses. In conclusion, the crude leech saliva was confirmed to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, further biochemical and clinical research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these biological effects in greater detail.

Objectives: This study was conducted in response to the increasing interest in understanding the effects of both modern and traditional complementary medicine on incisional wound healing. Herein, it was aimed to investigate the wound healing effects of medicinal leech therapy and leech saliva in an experimentally created incisional skin wound model. Methods: Fifteen rats underwent full-thickness incisions on their dorsal regions and were randomly assigned to five equal groups, as the Leech Saliva (LS) group, where wounds were treated topically with leech saliva once daily; Leech Therapy-1 (LT-1) group, where leech therapy was administered once at the beginning of the experiment; Leech Therapy-2 (LT-2) group, where leech therapy was applied twice, on days 0 and 3; Positive Control (PC) group, where wounds were treated daily with Phyto cream containing Triticum vulgare ; and Negative Control (NC) group, where no treatment was given. Results: Wound healing was assessed daily, and the experiment continued until complete healing was observed. At the conclusion, the wound size, appearance, and histological features were analyzed to compare healing progress across the groups. Conclusions: Medicinal leech therapy was observed to have a positive wound healing effect in the rat model.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (METS) is a multifactorial cardiometabolic disorder characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia, substantially increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The variable effectiveness of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions has heightened interest in complementary approaches. Hirudotherapy, containing a wide range of bioactive compounds, may offer therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of hirudotherapy on metabolic parameters in a rat model of METS. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Control ( n = 6), METS ( n = 6), METS + 4-week hirudotherapy ( n = 6), and METS + 8-week hirudotherapy ( n = 6). METS was induced through a modified high-fat and fructose-enriched diet. The effects of hirudotherapy on liver enzymes (AST, ALT), lipid profile (TG, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol), hemodynamic parameters (systolic/diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, heart rate), glucose metabolism (OGTT, AUC), and liver histopathology were assessed. Pellet and water intake were monitored to evaluate possible influences on appetite regulation. Results: Hirudotherapy demonstrated hepatoprotective activity, yielding significant reductions in AST and ALT levels ( p < 0.05). TG levels increased in METS, while LDL cholesterol showed partial improvement and HDL cholesterol remained unchanged. Systolic blood pressure significantly decreased in the hirudotherapy-treated groups, with no significant differences in diastolic pressure or heart rate. OGTT and AUC analyses revealed improved glucose tolerance and reduced hyperglycemia following hirudotherapy ( p < 0.05). Histopathology showed marked improvements in steatosis, sinusoidal dilatation, and hydropic degeneration, although minor hemorrhagic foci persisted. Differences in pellet consumption suggested a potential regulatory effect on appetite and metabolic balance. Conclusion: Hirudotherapy may exert beneficial effects in METS by improving liver function, modulating lipid metabolism, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and reducing inflammation. Its influence on food intake may further support metabolic homeostasis. These findings support hirudotherapy as a potential biotherapeutic approach and warrant further mechanistic and clinical investigations.

Objective: Anaerobic bacteria, which make up an important part of normal body flora, may lead to serious life-threatening infections. Since isolation and identification of anaerobic bacteria require time-consuming, sensitive, and difficult methods, they can only be performed in certain clinical laboratories. For this reason, diagnosis and treatment of anaerobic infections are delayed and drug resistance is observed due to empirical treatment. New methods that will enable the early identification of these bacteria will help reduce the duration of treatment and mortality rates due to anaerobic infections. Method: In this study, it is aimed to design magnetic nanoparticles attached to N-methyl-D-glucamine (Mag-NMDG) to catch anaerobic bacteria for rapid identification. Mag-NMDG nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Results: Mag-NMDG nanoparticles were applied to gram positive and gram negative anaerobic bacteria such as Actinomyces odontolyticus, Prevotella buccae, Veillonella parvula, Bifidobacterium dentium and Bacteroides fragilis isolated from culture media. The binding of bacteria to Mag-NMDG was determined by microscope images, McFarland values, and MALDI-TOF MS identification scores. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it was concluded that the Mag-NMDG nanoparticles could be used to isolate anaerobic bacteria directly from samples. Thus, it is foreseen that many time-consuming and troublesome steps in the isolation and identification stages can be eliminated.