Abstract
Ocimum basilicum L. and Ficus palmata F. are two famous plants, found in Saudi Arabia and are part of food and beverages from ancient time. In this study, we evaluated the effect of leaf and fruit extracts of O. basilicum and F. palmata on prothrombin time ( PT), activated partial thromboplastin time ( APTT), and thrombin time (TT). The aqueous, methanol, and ethanol extracts of leaves and fruits were prepared to a concentration of 50 mg/ml. PT and APTT were measured using an automated digital coagulation analyser using normal and poor plasma platelet samples. The plasma samples were tested against different concentrations of both plant extracts as: 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 mg/ml. The clotting and bleeding time were determined by anticoagulation activity in vitro. The results show that the aqueous leaf extract of O. basilicum and F. palmata prolongs the APTT, TT, and PTT significantly. The methanol and ethanol extracts of fruits of F. palmata produce significant change in PTT, APTT (p<0.05) values but no significant effect on TT values in relation to control. The results show that leaf extracts of O. basilicum and F. palmata produce significant effect on coagulation activity of human serum, so both species can be potentially drugs targets of naturally derived anticoagulants.