An Investigation of Platelet Anti-aggregation Activity in Indigenous Medicinal Herbs

Platelets play a pivotal role in maintaining blood haemostasis. In present investigation, the platelet aggregation inhibition activity of seventeen (17) indigenous medicinal herbs was studied by using dual-channel aggregometer. The extracts of Medicago saliva, Ficus bengalensis, Allium sattvum, Morus alba, Green lea, Boerhavia diffusa, Azadirachta indica, Trigonella foenumgraecum L, Syzygium cumini (Jaman) seeds, Nigella saliva seeds, Peganum harmala, and Moringa oleifera, exhibited significant (P<0.05) activity (more than 50 % inhibition) against platelet aggregation agonist adenosine diphosphate (ADP) induced platelet aggregation. Extracts of Medicago saliva, Ficus bengalensis, Allium sativum, Morus alba, Green lea, Boerhavia diffusa, Azadirachta indica, Trigonella foenumgraecum L, Syzygium cumini (Jaman) seeds, Nigella saliva seeds, peganum harmala, and Moringa oleifera, inhibited ADP-induced aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. The extracts of Solanum nigrum, Brassica oleracea, Syzygium cumini (Jaman pulp) Cinnamon, Morus fruit, Cyamopsis, Bryophylum, and Tribulus terristris showed relatively less inhibition. Dose response studies of all herbs tested in the present study were also carried out to calculate the concentrations at which 50 % inhibition (IC50) of platelet aggregation occurred. Our data is indicative that many of these herbs inhibited significant platelet antiaggregation properties.