Selected Wild Plants Ethanol Extracts Bioactivity on the Coagulation Cascade

Aim: As there is little data available on the validity of wild plants use in Palestine for blood disorders, the aim of this study was to determine the anticoagulant properties of Urtica urens, Parietaria judica, Satureja thymbra, Thymbra spicata, Teucrium creticum, Verbascum fruticulosum, Lupinus pilosus, Paronychia argentea, and Ruta chalepensis.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biotechnology and Biology/ Faculty of Science/ An-Najah National University, between November 2015 and May 2016.

Methodology: Studied plant species ethanol extracts were prepared to final concentrations 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/ml. In vitro PT and aPTT assays were conducted on normal platelet poor plasma blood samples by a digital coagulation analyzer. Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using a statistical package SPSS via applying mean values using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc tests.

Results: Urtica urens extract prolonged PT at 50 mg/ml, while T. spicata at 50 and 25 mg/ml, suggesting their inhibitory effect on the tissue clotting factors, which belong to the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. Paronychia argentea demonstrated a decreasing effect on PT at all studied concentrations recording zero PT, affecting the extrinsic pathway. Furthermore, U. urens, T. spicata, P. argentea and P. judica prolonged aPTT at 50 mg/ml due to the inhibition of the contact factors in the intrinsic pathway. The greatest anticoagulation activity was seen in U. urens and T. spicata as they prolonged both PT and aPTT, so they could have inhibitory effect not only on the clotting factors in the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, but also, those in the common pathways.

Conclusion: The effective examined plant species could provide potential bioactivity from which anticoagulation or anti-bleeding drugs can be exploited.