Is the blood of horseshoe crab found in japan can also be extracted for medical use?

Yes, the blood of horseshoe crabs found in Japan can also be extracted for medical use. In fact, Japan is one of the main countries where horseshoe crab blood is harvested for this purpose.

Horseshoe crab blood is used in the production of a medical product called Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), which is used for bacterial endotoxin testing. Endotoxins are harmful substances that can be found in the cell walls of bacteria, and they can cause serious infections in humans. LAL is used to detect the presence of endotoxins in medications, medical devices, and other products to ensure that they are safe for use.

The horseshoe crabs found in Japan are a particular species called Tachypleus tridentatus, which is unique to the waters around Japan and Korea. These crabs are carefully collected and bled in a controlled manner to extract their blood, which is then processed to create LAL. The crabs are then released back into the ocean.

The use of horseshoe crab blood for medical purposes is essential for ensuring the safety of many medical products. The LAL test is considered the gold standard for bacterial endotoxin testing, and it has saved countless lives by preventing the spread of infections caused by contaminated products.