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Planta Med 2007; 73(10): 1061-1067
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-981575
Pharmacology
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Comparative Study on Plant Latex Proteases and their Involvement in Hemostasis: A Special Emphasis on Clot Inducing and Dissolving Properties

Rajaiah Rajesh2 , Holenarasipura V. Shivaprasad1 , Chandagalu D. Raghavendra Gowda3 , Angaswamy Nataraju4 , Badarapura L. Dhananjaya1 , Bannikuppe S. Vishwanath1
  • 1Department of Studies in Biochemistry, University of Mysore, Manasagangothri, Mysore, India
  • 2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
  • 3Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
  • 4Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received: January 4, 2007 Revised: June 26, 2007

Accepted: June 28, 2007

Publication Date:
09 August 2007 (online)

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Abstract

In the present study we compared the clot inducing and dissolving properties of Calotropis gigantea R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae), Synadenium grantii Hook. f. (Euphorbiaceae) and Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. (Apocynaceae) latex extracts. All the three latex extracts hydrolyzed casein, fibrinogen and crude fibrin dose-dependently. The proteolytic action on fibrinogen subunity was in the order of Aα > Bβ > γ. All extracts exhibited procoagulant activity as assayed by re-calcification time. However, thrombin like activity is restricted to C. gigantea. In addition, the extracts dose-dependently hydrolyzed blood and plasma clots. Furthermore, the hydrolyzing pattern of fibrin in the plasma clot was substantiated by SDS-PAGE. The extracts hydrolyzed all the subunits (α polymer, α-chains, γ-γ dimer and β-chain) of fibrin efficiently. Both fibrinogenolytic and fibrinolytic activity potency of the extracts were in the order of C. gigantea > S. grantii > W. tinctoria. Among the three latices, C. gigantea is toxic with a minimum hemorrhagic dose (MHD) of > 75 μg, whereas S. grantii and W. tinctoria latex extracts were non-toxic and did not induce any hemorrhagic effect at the tested dose (> 200 μg). The proteolytic activity of C. gigantea latex extract on different substrates was inhibited by IAA. On the other hand, the proteolytic activities of S. grantii and W. tinctoria were inhibited by PMSF. Thus, this study provides the basis for the probable action of plant latex proteases to stop bleeding and effect wound healing as exploited in folk medicine.

Key words

Calotropis gigantea - Asclepiadaceae - Synadenium grantii - Euphorbiaceae - Wrightia tinctoria - Apocynaceae - hemostasis - wound healing - folk medicine

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Prof. B. S. Vishwanath

Department of Studies in Biochemistry

University of Mysore

Manasagangothri

Mysore-570006

India

Phone: +91-821-309-1048

Fax: +91-821-241-5390

Email: vishmy@yahoo.co.uk