Haemostatic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Their Phytochemicals

Abstract

Haemorrhage associated with traumatic injury is responsible for over 35% of pre-hospital deaths and over 40% of deaths within the first 24 hours.Some important pharmacological aspects of plants such as haemostatic potential remain underexplored due to lack of scientific validation for the medical use of plant extracts/active compounds in bleeding control. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants, which are used to stop bleeding, was done. Information was gathered from local herbalists, elderly people, literature search through various books and previously reported research papers in scientific databases (Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, Chem Spider, PubChem). Information about plants used to treat bleeding, plant parts used, mode of preparation, possible compounds and mechanism of action and dosage was collected and recorded. The collected information revealed 92 medicinal plants belonging to 59 families which are used against bleeding. Members of the Asteraceae family (12%) were the most prominent, followed by Moraceae (6%), Poaceae (5%) and Euphorbiaceae (4%). Leaves and underground plant parts were reported to be the most commonly used plant parts. The most prominent methods of herbal administration used were intravenous and as an ointment on the body surface. These plant extracts can be used efficiently and in a managed proportion to develop an effective remedy for bleeding/haemorrhages.