EFFECTS OF ANTRODIA CAMPHORATA, SALVIA MILTIORRHIZA AND ANTRODIA CAMPHORATA-FERMENTED SALVIA MILTIORRHIZA ON ANTITHROMBOSIS AND ANTICOAGULATION IN RATS
Antrodia camphorata (Polyporaceae) and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae) are commonly used in traditional Oriental medicine. This study investigates the effect of A. camphorata (AC), S. miltiorrhiza (SM) and Antrodia camphoratafermented Salvia miltiorrhiza (AS) on anticoagulation and antithrombosis in rats. The experiment divided Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats into six groups: a control group, an aspirin group (30 mg/kg BW), an AC group (2.4 g/kg BW), an SM group (0.1 g/kg BW), a low-dose AS (ASL) group (2.5 g/kg BW), and a high-dose AS (ASH) group (12.5 mg/kg BW). Anticoagulant properties were assessed by the bleeding time, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C and plasminogen. Antithrombotic effect were assessed by estimating atherosclerotic plaque area. The results showed that administering AC, ASL, and ASH to rats, the bleeding times of these groups were significantly longer than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Besides, ASL or ASH, their APTT and PT were significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After giving ASH to rats, their antithrombin III and protein C level were also significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). There was also a significant decrease in atherosclerotic plaque area (P < 0.05) after giving rats AC, SM, ASL, or ASH, among which ASH had the best results. It was concluded that AS can enhance anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects, which indicates that AS has the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease