Screening Of Haemostatic Activity Of Nigella Sativa Seed Extract

Abstract

The present study was performed with the aim to determine the haemostatic effect of the seed extract of Nigella sativa. The anticoagulant or procoagulant activities of the methanol extract from seeds of Nigella sativa Linn was studied using in vitro coagulation assays which included prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and thrombin time (TT). Extraction of the seeds resulted in two separate compounds of the extract. The first compound was greasy termed the oil compound while the other compound was viscous and dark called the crude compound. The tests were carried out on fresh frozen plasma (FFP) with different concentrations of the oil and crude compounds (20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%). The coagulation time recorded for both compounds toward the PT, aPTT and TT assays showed transient prolongation of the clot formation. Statistical analysis using the one-way variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant difference for both compounds, as opposed to the control, since their p-values were less than 0.05. Thus, both compounds of the Nigella sativa seed extract appear to possess anticoagulant activity. In addition, the coagulation time recorded by the oil compound was shown to be higher in PT and TT assays compared to the crude extract. Hence, the oil compound may have a more potent effect in inhibiting the coagulation activity within the extrinsic and common pathways. Meanwhile, from the results of the aPTT tests, the crude compound managed to delay the coagulation time longer than the oil compound. Thus, the crude compound may have more effect towards the coagulation activity of the intrinsic pathway.