Evaluation of hemostatic effects of Ankaferd as an alternative medicine.

Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), a unique traditional herbal mixture, has been used topically to stop bleeding for centuries in Anatolia. ABS is a standardized mixture of the plants Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum, and Urtica dioica. Through its effects on the endothelium, blood cells, angiogenesis, cellular proliferation, vascular dynamics, and cell mediators, ABS is now becoming an official alternative hemostatic medicine for intractable bleedings that are resistant to conventional anti-hemorrhagic measurements in Turkey. Furthermore, ABS seems to have a considerable therapeutic benefit, because of its anti-infective, anti-neoplastic, and wound healing properties, to restore and maintain tissue homeostasis in a variety of diseases.

Oral systemic administration of Ankaferd blood stopper has no short-term toxicity in an in vivo rabbit experimental model.

BACKGROUND: Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a standardized herbal extract obtained from 5 different plants. In Turkey, it has been approved for local topical applications in external postsurgical and postdental surgery bleedings. Ankaferd blood stopper, besides its hemostatic activity, has in vitro anti-infectious and antineoplastic actions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess short-term hematological and biochemical safety following the oral systemic administration of ABS to rabbits. METHODS: Twelve rabbits (aged 6-12 months) were included to test the safety of oral ABS. Animals were divided into 4 groups, which had ABS administered orally at doses of 1, 3, 6, and 9 mL, irrespective of their weight. The general well-being and feeding patterns of the animals were observed for a period of 7 days. Blood samples (5.5 mL) were obtained just before oral administration, on days 1 and 4. RESULTS: During the observation period of 7 days, none of the animals showed any abnormal behavior or deviation from the normal. Acute mucosal toxicity, hematotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and biochemical toxicity were not observed during the short-term follow-up of the animals. CONCLUSIONS: No signs of toxicity were observed in rabbits during short-term study with oral ABS administration.

Ultrastructural and morphological analyses of the in vitro and in vivo hemostatic effects of Ankaferd Blood Stopper.

Ultrastructural and morphological analyses of a novel hemostatic agent, Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), in comparison to its in vitro and in vivo hemostatic effects were investigated. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images accompanied with morphological analysis after topical application of ABS revealed a very rapid (<1 second) protein network formation within concurrent vital erythroid aggregation covering the classical coagulation cascade. Histopathological examination revealed similar in vivo ABS-induced hemostatic network at the porcine hepatic tissue injury model. Instantaneous control of bleeding was achieved in human surgery-induced dental tissue injury associated with primary and secondary hemostatic abnormalities. Ankaferd Blood Stopper could hold a great premise for clinical management of surgery bleedings as well as immediate cessation of bleeding on external injuries based on upcoming clinical trials.

The efficacy of Ankaferd Blood Stopper in antithrombotic drug-induced primary and secondary hemostatic abnormalities of a rat-bleeding model.

Ankaferd comprises a standardized mixture of plants Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum and Urtica dioica. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) as a medicinal product has been approved in the management of external hemorrhage and dental surgery bleedings in Turkey. This study aimed to evaluate the in-vivo hemostatic effect of ABS in rats pretreated with acetylsalicylic acid or enoxaparin. Wistar rats (210-270 g) of both sexes were used in this study. The animals were pretreated with acetylsalicylic acid (10 mg/kg) orally for 4 days or enoxaparin sodium (8 mg/kg) subcutaneously for 3 days or did not receive any anticoagulant before tail cut at 4th day. ABS was administered topically [a total of 4 ml (1 ml/puff x 4)] to the cut tail in the studied animals. The duration of bleeding and the amount of bleeding were measured in order to evaluate the hemostatic effect of ABS. In acetylsalicylic acid-treated animals, topical ABS reduced both the duration and also the amount of bleeding volume by 68.4 and 54.6%, respectively. It was also effective in shortening the duration of bleeding (30.6%) and decreasing the amount of bleeding (32.8%) in enoxaparin-treated animals. ABS, a traditional folkloric medicinal plant extract, has in-vivo hemostatic actions, which may provide a therapeutic potential for the management of patients with deficient hemostasis in the clinical medicine.

Hemostatic efficacy of Ankaferd Blood Stopper in a swine bleeding model.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to show the hemostatic effect of spray, solution and tampon forms of Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), a unique medicinal plant extract historically used as a hemostatic agent in Turkish folklore medicine, in a porcine bleeding model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two 1-year-old pigs were used as bleeding models for superficial and deep skin lacerations, grade II liver and spleen injuries, grade II saphenous vein injury and grade IV saphenous artery injury. Spray, solution or tampon forms of ABS were applied after continuing bleeding was confirmed. The primary outcome was time to hemostasis. Volume of blood loss was not measured. The pigs were euthanized at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: Spray or direct application of ABS solution resulted in instant control of bleeding in superficial and deep skin lacerations as well as puncture wounds of the liver. A 40-second application of ABS tampon was sufficient to stop bleeding of skin lacerations, while 1.5- and 3.5-min applications were used to control hemorrhage from the saphenous vein and artery, respectively. No rebleeding was observed once hemostasis was achieved. However, repeated applications of ABS solution and tampon were only temporarily effective in the hemostasis of spleen injury. CONCLUSIONS: The data showed that ABS was an effective hemostatic agent for superficial and deep skin lacerations and minor/moderate trauma injuries in a porcine bleeding model.

In vivo hemostatic effect of the medicinal plant extract Ankaferd Blood Stopper in rats pretreated with warfarin.

AIM: Ankaferd comprises a mixture of Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum and Urtica dioica. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) has been approved in the management of bleedings. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo hemostatic effect of ABS in rats pretreated with warfarin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats (210-270 g) were treated either with warfarin (2 mg/kg) or vehicle (0.9% NaCl) orally before bilateral hind leg amputation. ABS was administered topically to one of the amputed legs. The duration of bleeding and the amount of bleeding were measured to evaluate the hemostatic effect of ABS. RESULTS: Topical ABS administration to amputed leg shortened the duration of bleeding markedly in both untreated and warfarin-treated rats by 31.9% [1.42 min (95% CI: 0.35-2.49)] and 43.5% [5.12 min (95% CI: 2.16-8.07)] respectively. The amount of bleeding in ABS-administered amputed leg showed a decrease by 53.8% in warfarin-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: ABS has in vivo hemostatic actions that may provide a therapeutic potential for the management of patients with deficient primary hemostasis in clinical medicine.