Effect of Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) aqueous leaf extract on prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) of human plasma
Keywords:
Ocimum sanctum, linolenic acid, anticoagulant, GCMS, coagulation assaysAbstract
Conventional anticoagulant therapy is the mainstay of medical treatment for deep vein thrombosis disorders. However, there are many complications associated with these agents such as bleeding. Hence, the search for novel anticoagulant derived from natural substances such as plants origin is in high demand nowadays. Ocimum sanctum (O. sanctum) also known as Ocimum tenuiform (OT), tulsi or holy basil from the family of Lamiaceae has been widely used for thousands of years in Ayurveda and Unani systems to cure or prevent a number of illnesses such as headache, malaria, ulcers, bronchitis, cough, flu, sore throat and asthma. The objective is to investigate the effect of O. sanctum (Tulsi) aqueous leaf extract on prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) in human plasma. Coagulation activity of O. sanctum was measured via PT, APTT and TT assay in citrated plasma collected from thirty-six healthy regular blood donors. The plasma was tested against different concentrations of O. sanctum aqueous extract as follows: 0.1mg/ml, 0.5 mg/ml and 1.0 mg/ml. Result shows the aqueous extract of O. sanctum prolonged the PT and APTT assays (p<0.05) but had no effect on TT assay (p>0.05). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis had identified the linolenic acid at 1-10% of ethanol and aqueous concentration at different retention time which was responsible for the coagulation activities of O. sanctum in human plasma. This study suggests that O. sanctum does affect coagulation activity in human plasma and can be potentially used as naturally derived anticoagulant products in the future.References
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