Anti-thrombic activity of Korean herbal medicine, Dae-Jo-Whan and its herbs

The anti-thrombic properties of the Korean herbal medicine, Dae-Jo-Hwan (DJW), which is consisted of 11 herbs (indicated as concentrations) of Rehmanniae radix 24%, Hominis placenta 5%, Testudinis carapax 9%, Eucommiae cortex 9%, Asparagi radix 9%, Phellodendri cortex 9%, Achyranthis radix 7%, Liriopis tuber 7%, Angelicae sinensis radix 7%, Ginseng radix 6%, and Schizandrae fructus 3%, were investigated. The extracts of DJW and its 11 herbs, except G. radix, A. sinensis radix and S. Fructus, inhibited the endotoxin-induced hepatic venous thrombosis in high cholesterol diet-treated rats. Also the extract inhibited the endotoxin-induced decrease in blood platelets and fibrinogen, and endotoxin-induced increase in fibrin degradation products (FDP) on disseminated intravascular coagulation in normal rats. In in vitro experiments, the extract was shown to have inhibitory effect on collagen- and ADP-induced blood platelet aggregation, on thrombin-induced conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin and on the activity of plasminogen or plasmin. In conclusion, the protection of extracts of Korean herbs on the ischemic infarction induced artificially might be related to their inhibitory effects on DIC, platelet coagulation and thrombic action.