Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic activity of Terminalia belerica fruit extracts

Atherothrombotic diseases such as myocardial or cerebral infarction are serious consequences of the thrombus formed in blood vessels. Thrombolytic agents are used to dissolve the already formed clots in the blood vessels. However, these drugs have certain limitations which cause serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Herbal preparations have been used since ancient times for the treatment of several diseases. So, the aim of present work was to investigate whether our selected herbal preparations of Terminalia belerica fruits possess thrombolytic and antithrombotic activity or not. An in vitro model was used to check the clot lysis and antithrombotic effect of Terminalia belerica fruits along with Streptokinase as a positive control. From this study it was found that after addition of Streptokinase clot formation is delayed upto more than 90 min whereas after addition of test solution it was found that as the concentration of extract was increased the delay in clot formation also increases. At 0.20 mg/dl concentration it showed the maximum delay (more than 90 min.) in clot formation. For thrombolytic activity, at concentration 1.00 mg/dl the clot dissolution time is minimum i.e. 58 and 66 min for aqueous and alcoholic extracts respectively. Through our study it was found that Terminalia belerica fruits possess thrombolytic and antithrombotic activity in vitro; however in vivo clot dissolving properties and active component of Terminalia belerica for clot lysis are yet to be discovered.