Abstract

CONCHA-BENAVENTE, Fernando. In vitro effect of the latex of Ficus insipida in the blood coagulation cascade. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2010, vol.21, n.3, pp.146-152. ISSN 1018-130X.

We need to search for new natural drugs yielding pharmacological active principles to be used as an alternative to conventional therapies. For this reason, we proposed to study Ficus insipida, an amazonian plant that its latex has been used for years as an Antihelmintic agent but its anticoagulant effect has been only superficially studied. Objective: To corroborate the in vitro anticoagulant effect and to determine upon which of the coagulation pathways acts the latex of Ficus insipida. Material and methods: The latex of Ficus insipida was obtained and prepared at different concentrations. Then, samples of peripheral blood from 5 donors were taken using sodium citrate to avoid blood clotting; the samples were mixed with the latex dilutions and centrifuged, after that, the plasma was extracted to form a plasma pool from each latex concentration. Finally, the Prothrombin Time (PT) and the Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) were determined, respectively. Results: The results obtained demonstrated that the latex of Ficus insipida delays the PT at concentrations equal or higher than 0.03125% (V/V), and both the PT and PTT at concentrations equal or higher than 0.15% (V/V). Conclusions: This data allow us to affirm that the latex of Ficus insipida has a dose-dependent in vitro anticoagulant effect upon the extrinsic coagulation pathway at concentrations equal or higher than 0.03125% (V/V). Additionally, at concentrations equal or higher than 0.15% (V/V) it has a potent anticoagulant effect over both coagulation pathways.(Rev Med Hered 2010;21:146-152).

Keywords : Blood coagulation factors; prothrombin time; partial thromboplastin time; ficus; anticoagulant agents.

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