PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN-VITRO ANTICOAGULANT, THROMBOLYTIC EVALUATION OF N-HEXANE EXTRACT OBTAINED FROM PROBOSCIDEA LOUISIANICA LEAVES

Medicinal plants have long served as a fundamental source of therapeutic agents, providing a bridge between traditional healthcare practices and modern drug discovery. The present study investigates the phytochemical composition and in-vitro anticoagulant and thrombolytic activities of Proboscidea louisianica leaves. Fresh leaves were collected from rural areas of Korangi, Kakinada district, India, during the rainy season and subjected to shade drying followed by Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of bioactive constituents such as steroids, proteins, amino acids, tannins, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, and glycosides, while carbohydrates were absent. The anticoagulant activity was evaluated using the plasma recalcification (prothrombin time) method, where the extract showed a concentration-dependent prolongation of clotting time compared to the saline control. Thrombolytic activity was assessed by an in-vitro clot lysis assay using human blood clots, which demonstrated moderate clot lysis potential that increased with higher concentrations of the extract when compared with streptokinase as the positive control. The findings suggest that Proboscidea louisianica leaf extract possesses promising anticoagulant and thrombolytic properties, which may be attributed to its rich phytochemical content. These results support the traditional use of medicinal plants and indicate the potential of Proboscidea louisianica as a natural source for developing novel antithrombotic agents.