title: Antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of essential oil from wild Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) calices from Amazonian Ecuador.
abstract: Ocotea quixos essential oil was shown to possess significant inhibitory activity of platelet aggregation and clot retraction in rodent plasma. This study is aimed at fully characterizing the antiplatelet activity of the whole essential oil and its main components trans-cinnamaldehyde and methyl cinnamate also in human plasma, at investigating the mechanism underlying such activity and at evaluating the potential antithrombotic activity of subacute treatment of mice with Ocotea essential oil. In vitro Ocotea essential oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde inhibited arachidonic acid-, U46619-, ADP-, phorbol12-myristate13-alcetate-, collagen-induced platelet aggregation and thrombin-induced clot retraction in human and rodent plasma; Ocotea oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde competitively antagonized contractions induced by thromboxane A2 receptor agonist U46619 in rat isolated aortic ring (K(B) = 18 and 3.2 microg ml(-1), respectively). In vivo Ocotea oil, orally administered in a subacute treatment (30-100 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 5 days) to mice, prevented acute thrombosis induced by collagen-epinephrine intravenous injection. This antithrombotic activity was not accompanied by pro-haemorragic side effect, as detected by the inactivity in bleeding test, thus showing a favourable safety profile compared to the conventional antiplatelet agent, acetylsalicylic acid. Present findings indicate that Ocotea essential oil possesses potent and safe antithrombotic activity attributable to its antiplatelet and vasorelaxant effects. The main constituent trans-cinnamaldehyde seems to be the primary responsible for this activity through a putative mechanism involving the inhibition of thromboxane A2 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Dip. di Scienze Farmacologiche, Biologiche e Chimiche Applicate, Università di Parma, Viale G.P.Usberti 27/A, 43100 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Vigilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ballabeni
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tognolini
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: Gabriela Moreno
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barocelli
mesh_terms: D000171:Acrolein / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D003018:Clot Retraction / Q000187:drug effects; D004484:Ecuador; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D027444:Ocotea / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000188:drug therapy; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D002934:Cinnamates; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C025385:methyl cinnamate; D000171:Acrolein; C012843:cinnamaldehyde