ICAR Research Data Repository for Knowledge Management

Platelets are the tiny corpuscular cells found in the blood along with erythrocytes and leukocytes. They are continuously surveying the inner layers
of intact blood vessels and play an important role in haemostasis. Whenever there is any break / damage in the blood vessels, platelets are exposed to the damaged tissue resulting in a cascade of events like shape change, secretion and aggregation leading to the formation of a precise haemostatic plug. But if these synergistic interactions take place in vivo, it results in the blockage of blood supply to essential organs causing cardio-vascular or cerebro-vascular complications. It is reported that patients with atherosclerosis possess increased platelet activity. Platelets are activated by a variety of agonists like ADP, epinephrine, collagen, thrombin, arachidonic acid, calcium ionophore A 23187 and ristocetin resulting in the shape change from discoidal to spherical. Also platelets
possess a unique property of ‘stickiness’, which is seen once they are activated resulting in the adhesion of platelets to one another. Platelet aggregation is a membrane-associated event and the involvement of platelet membranes is crucial due to their interaction with the
various agonists. A variety of dietary components influence the membrane characteristics like fluidity, stability and susceptibility to oxidative damage. Membrane lipids are highly susceptible to peroxidation resulting in the damage
to the membrane structure and function. Spices the known food adjuncts possess anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic and anti - lithogenic effect as per Ayurveda, the indigenous system of Indian medicine. Reports indicate that aqueous extracts of onion and garlic inhibited platelet aggregation by acting on the arachidonic acid metabolism. Similarly, aqueous extract of ginger inhibited ADP, epinephrine, collagen and arachidonic acid induced platelet aggregation by reducing the formation of
thromboxanes. A dietary survey indicated that red chillies, turmeric, garlic, coriander and cumin are the most commonly used spices in Indian households. Hence two of these – coriander and cumin were selected for the present
investigation, as no information is available on the effect of these spices at present. In principle the effect of these spices on human platelet aggregation,its membrane structure and function were investigated in vitro. Experiments were carried out in vitro using platelets isolated from human blood.