Anticoagulant activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae) rizhome extract

Background: Herbal medicines with anticoagulant therapeutic claims could serve as veritable sources of new oral anticoagulant drugs with possible wider safety margins than the currently available onesObjectives: This work was aimed at evaluating a Ginger Rhizome Methanolic Extract in vivo in rats for its potential anti-coagulant activity.Materials and Methods: Thirty-six albino rats were randomized into 6 equal groups, comprising four extracttreated, one standard reference and one control groups. Each of the four extract-treated groups received one of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg ginger rhizome extract prepared in 2% Tween 20. The standard reference group received 1mg/kg warfarin while the control group received 10 ml/kg 2% Tween 20. These dosing were carried out daily concurrently for 14 consecutive days after which blood samples were collected from the animals and evaluated to obtain mean Prothrombin Time (PT), activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) and Thrombin Time (TT), comparing each test value with the control and standard reference using one way ANOVA followed by turkey comparisons.Results: The Ginger Rhizome Methanolic Extract significantly prolonged PT, aPTT and TT, compared to the control (p < 0.001). Warfarin did not significantly prolong TT and the extract’s TT prolongation effect was significantly greater than that of warfarin (p < 0.001).Conclusion:This work shows that Ginger Rhizome Methanolic Extract has anticoagulant activity and could therefore be a veritable source of new oral anticoagulants with possible better safety margins. Keywords: Anticoagulants, Ginger rhizome, Thrombosis, Ischaemic disease