Antiaggregant activity of Extracts of Five Medicinal Plants

Blood platelets (or thrombocytes) play a central role in hemostasis mechanisms and the maintenance of vascular integrity. However their excessive activation can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis. The objective of this work is to examine in vitro the antiaggregating effect of extracts of five Moroccan medicinal plants: Arbutus unedo Urtica dioica Petroselinum crispum Cistus ladaniferus and Equisetum arvense in rats. The results obtained show that the extracts tested inhibit platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. At 10 mg/mL the degree of inhibition of aggregation varies between 28.1% and 78.1% for thrombin and between 41.5% and 82.24% for ADP. The calculated IC50 values ​​for the extracts tested vary between 5.68 and 15.5 mg/mL. In addition the plants tested significantly reduced the rate of platelet aggregation. These effects would be linked to the presence in the extracts of the plants tested of active ingredients having an anti-aggregating action and which could be beneficial for the treatment of certain cardiovascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis.