Milagros T. Garcia Mesa
*1 Central Laboratory of Pharmacology, “Dr. Salvador Allende” Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences of Havana,
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a silent and chronic inflammatory process at the artery wall. A procoagulant state may occur after atherosclerotic plaque rupture and provoke an acute atherothrombotic event, which are among the first causes of death in many countries. Antiplatelet agents are prescribed for antithrombotic therapy, however the efficacy of currently available drugs is limited, thus, other effective, safe and low-cost therapeutic options are needed. Antithrombotic agents could emerge from a herb product with platelet inhibitory activity, however “antiplatelet” is not a popular term, a limitation of the Ethnomedical studies. This review is focused on the association of some traditional uses and the antiplatelet effects of plant products that could provide a basis to select the botanical species to be included in research protocols to discover antithrombotic agents. The analysis of the characteristic features of the antiplatelet effects of different products derived from Allium sativum L., Ginkgo biloba L., Sacharum officinarum L., Theobroma cacao L. and Vitis vinifera L. suggest that antithrombotic potentials could be found in medicinal plants traditionally used to treat inflammation, bronchitis, bronchial asthma and vascular disorders. The reductions of thromboxane A2 formation and calcium uptake, the increases of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and nitric oxide levels, besides the inhibition of oxidative reactions in platelets could be among the possible mechanisms of action of the new products.
Keywords: Platelet, Drug discovery, Traditional medicine