Casten Jose Sixto T. Guanzon
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Euphorbia hirta is a common herb growing in the Philippines. There are many uses for this herb, including medicinal applications, especially as a relief for asthma, fever, as a hermostatic, and many others. Despite the many medicinal applications the herb is available for, there are few for which there is any scientific evidence or research backing. This study focused on verifying the presence of hemostatic properties in E.hirta whether in a specific part or in the herb as a whole.
Hemostasis is primarily the process by which the blood clots either by natural means or aided by hemostatic agents. These agents are thought to act on one of the several cascades that occur during blood clotting, the integral phase of hemastosis.
To test the hemostatic properties of E.hirta, two tests were conducted; the bleeding time test, to verify the common practice of using it to help clot superficial wounds, and the whole blood clotting time test, which tested its effects on coagulation cascade which occurs in blood complete with its components (whole blood).
The extracts used in this study were separated into two groups, one for the leaf and one for the stem extracts. Normal saline was used for a third group. A total of twenty-seven male white mice were used in the study.
The results for the bleeding time test confirmed the use of the herb as a treatment to help superficial wound clotting.