In-Vitro Anticoagulant and Thrombolytic Properties of Crude Aspergillus terreus Extract

Abstract

Thrombosis remains a major global health concern, contributing to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and venous thromboembolism. Current pharmacologic agents, such as heparin and streptokinase, act either as anticoagulants or thrombolytics but rarely combine both mechanisms. Natural products, particularly fungal metabolites and enzymes, are increasingly explored as alternative or complementary sources of bioactive compounds. This study evaluated the anticoagulant and thrombolytic potential of crude Aspergillus terreus extract in vitro.  An experimental, laboratory-based design was employed. Whole blood clotting time, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and thrombin time (TT) were measured in plasma from healthy donors treated with graded concentrations of A. terreus extract. Thrombolytic activity was assessed by weight-based clot lysis assays, with unfractionated heparin serving as the anticoagulant control, streptokinase as the thrombolytic control, and phosphate-buffered saline as the vehicle control. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with post hoc Scheffé testing, with significance set at p < 0.05.  The extract significantly prolonged clotting times in a dose-dependent manner. In whole blood assays, clotting was extended beyond normal ranges, with effect sizes classified as large. PT values increased to over 30 seconds, plateauing between 20 and 30 mg/mL, while aPTT rose sharply at 30 mg/mL, exceeding 80 seconds, suggesting preferential effects on the intrinsic pathway. Heparin consistently produced the longest clotting times. In thrombolysis assays, the extract achieved up to 45% clot lysis, significantly greater than heparin and saline controls, and not statistically different from streptokinase despite lower absolute means.  Aspergillus terreus crude extract exhibits dual antithrombotic activity, combining anticoagulant and thrombolytic effects. While less potent than heparin or streptokinase alone, its ability to influence both clot formation and clot dissolution highlights its promise as a potential natural therapeutic source. Future research should isolate and characterize active constituents, expand replication for statistical robustness, conduct safety and cytotoxicity profiling, and validate efficacy in vivo to determine translational potential.