ANTITHROMBOTIC AND ANTICOAGULANT PROPERTIES OF PENICILLIUM CHRYSOGENUM (PCL 501) CULTURE EXTRACTS

Penicillin and related β - lactam antibiotics inhibit platelet aggregation and can cause bleeding diathesis ; their potential an tithrombotic and anticoagulation effects are being investigated. An in vitro study was carried out to determine the effect of culture extract of Penicillium chrysogenum (PCL501) on thrombin and whole blood clotting time . V isual and spectrophotometric measu rements showed that t he extract significantly (P < 0.05) lengthened thrombin and blood clotting time, and inhibited blood clot formation. D elay in thrombin and blood clotting time was proportionate to the extract concentration ; a threshold level was reache d when it totally inhibited clot formation . The reference drug, c ommercial benzyl penicillin , exhibited a similar inhibitory pattern . The culture extract and reference drug , at 6.0 and 5.0 mg/ml concentration respectively , prevented c lot formation initiati on by thrombin . No b lood clot was observed at 30.0 and 20.0 mg/ml concentration respectively of the extract and reference drug. This study demonstrates that the culture extract of P. chrysogenum (PCL501) has in vitro antithrombotic and anticoagulant proper ties . It also suggests that inhibition of thrombin activity could be the major mechanism through which β - lactam antibiotics impair platelet functions and impede blood clotting process . T he strain of P. chrysogenum can be exploi ted for low - cost antithrombot ic and anticoagulation therapy.