Hirudin was discovered as an active anticoagulant in leech extracts almost 60 years ago. Since their initial discovery, hirudin and its variants have been produced with various anti-thrombotic, cancer cell inhibition, diabetic cataract treatment and anti-fatigue activities. Some hirudin variants have been approved for clinical use and released into the marketplace. Recent progress has seen made in relation to hirudin variants expressed in several well-established microbial hosts, including Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris and others, with high levels of activity and yield. This review summarizes the current progress on hirudin production using microbial producers, and considers the outlook for future development.

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This study was conducted to propose proper indicators and to assess the sustainability of traditional vermicelli production in Minh Hong village. Sustainability of traditional vermicelli production in Minh Hong village was assessed based on 40 indicators belonging to 5 dimensions (production, product management and consumption, economy, society, and environment). All indicators were quantified on a scale of 0-1, in which 0 presenting low sustainability and 1 indicating high sustainability. The results showed high sustainability of economic dimension ranging from 0.87 to 1.00, implying economic efficiency of vermicelli production. However, social and environmental dimensions demonstrated medium sustainability. Some factors affecting on the sustainability of vermicelli production were the unsustainable connection between production and market, stability of input materials, consumption markets, limited training and labor safety, capital for production and business, and management of local authority. Solutions for ensuring the sustainability of traditional vermicelli production were also proposed and discussed.