In Vitro Detection of Clot-Related Activities of Commercial Cistanche Sp. Extracts

Cistanche sp. is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and contains several potentially bioactive constituents. This study investigated the in vitro thrombolytic and anticoagulant activities of extracts prepared from commercial Cistanche roots. The root material was decocted with water–methanol (60:40, v/v), followed by steam distillation. Three preparations were evaluated: the total extract (T), a distilled-water-reconstituted extract (DWE), and a phosphate-buffered saline extract (PBSE). Thrombolytic activity was assessed by monitoring clot disruption microscopically, while anticoagulant activity was evaluated using prothrombin time (PT) and the international normalized ratio (INR). All experiments were performed in triplicate. Observable clot disruption occurred with all three preparations, with mean recording times of 5,753, 5,498, and 5,950 s for T, DWE, and PBSE, respectively; no significant difference was detected among the preparations (p > 0.05). In the PT assay, DWE produced INR values of 1.62 and 2.02, whereas T produced values of 2.00 and 2.10 at volumes of 1 and 2 µL, respectively. The putative ginsenoside-containing fraction produced INR values of 1.55 and 2.51. These preliminary findings suggest that Cistanche extracts possess in vitro thrombolytic and anticoagulant potential, although further confirmation using standardized assays and appropriate positive controls is required.