Onion exerts antiaggregatory effects by altering arachidonic acid metabolism in platelets

In vitro effects of an oily extract of onion were examined on the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) in human platelets. Onion was found to reduce the formation of thromboxane and lipoxygenase products from exogenous arachidonic acid in platelets; it did not inhibit the incorporation of AA into platelet phospholipids. While not affecting the platelet phospholipase activity it did reduce the formation of thromboxane B2 and lipoxygenase products in platelets that were prelabelled with arachidonic acid and then activated by A23187. This suggests that onion inhibits the formation of AA metabolites by exerting its effect at steps later than the liberation of AA. With concentrations of onion extract producing abolition of AA-induced aggregation, only partial inhibition of aggregation was observed with ADP- and epinephrine-induced aggregation. Onion did not inhibit A23187 induced aggregation. The results suggest that inhibition of platelet aggregation by onion is mediated largely by its effect on platelet thromboxane production.