Anticoagulant and Fibrinogenolytic Properties of Seed Extract of Psidium guajava

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate for the first time the anticoagulant and fibrinogenolytic protease from Psidium guajava seed extract. The Psidium guajava seed extract in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed protein bands in high molecular weight region between 122 kDa and 47 kDa and two distinct bands in the lower molecular weight region at ~16.6 kDa and ~14.3 kDa. The protein content in Psidium guajava seed extract was found to be 1 mg/ml with protease specific activity 0.8 U. The proteolytic activity was supported by zymography studies using casein/gelatin as substrates. Psidium guajava seed extract hydrolysed all the subunits of fibrinogen and alpha-polymer and alpha-chain subunits of fibrin at a concentration of 20 μg and 120 μg, respectively. Psidium guajava seed extract prolonged the clotting time in recalcification time from control 161 s to 487 s, increasing by ~3 folds. This indicates the anticoagulant nature associated with Psidium guajava seed extract. Our study provides for the first time, the scientific validation for the presence of a protease with anticoagulant and fibrinogenolytic property from Psidium guajava seed extract.