Haemostatic Effects of Ethanolic Extracts of Amaranthus hybridus on Wistar Rats

Haemostasis refers to the arrest of bleeding due to vascular damage and involves the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathways which converge at the point of fibrin activation to stop or minimize blood loss. Amaranthus hybridus contains a while range of nutritional, chemical and phytochemical constituents which gives it wide range of applications in folk medicine. Aim: To evaluate the effects of ethanolic extracts of Amaranthus hybridus on blood platelet count, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) using Wistar rat models. Methodology: Twenty Four (24) adult male Wistar rats were used for the study. The animals were randomly divided into three (3) groups of eight (8) animals each. Oral administration of distilled water for the control group and ethanolic extracts of Amaranthus hybridus at 30 and 60 mg/kg lasted for twenty eight (28) days. Platelet count, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were determined using standard laboratory methods. Results: Ethanolic extracts of Amaranthus hybridus significantly increased platelet count at 30 mg and 60 mg/kg compared to the control animals (p<0.05). Also, it significantly reduced prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time at 30 and 60 mg/kg in a dose dependent manner compared to control animals (P<0.05).   Conclusion: The study shows that ethanolic extract of Amaranthus hybridus may have enhanced haemostasis as demonstrated by increased platelet count and reduced prothrombin (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) time.