Abstract
The decoction from a tumbler made of heartwood of the Indian kino tree (Asana, Pterocarpus marsupium, PM) was a remedy for diabetes mellitus in Ayurveda. Diabetes mellitus is a one of the lifestyle-related diseases that finally leads to the induction of fatal diseases such as arterial sclerosis and cerebral infarction. In this study, effects on blood fluidity was investigated using extract obtained from the heartwood of PM. Oral administration of the extract reduced passage time of the blood obtained from disseminated intravascular coagulation model rats. In addition, the extract inhibited the reduction of platelets, which suggests that this attributed to the inhibition of platelet aggregation. The extract also demonstrated suppressive effects on both collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation. Moreover, the extract showed inhibition against cyclooxygenase. The active principle was determined to be pterostilbene by collagen-induced platelet aggregation inhibitory activity-guided purification. Pterostilbene is a derivative of resveratrol, which is known to be in red wine and to possess beneficial effects for prevention of life-style related diseases. Pterostilbene exhibited 56 and 57% inhibition on both collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation at 20 μM, respectively. These results demonstrate that the extract of PM heartwood may be a promising candidate as a multifunctional agent for treating lifestyle-related diseases.