OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-platelet aggregation effects of extracts from 31 Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) with the property of activating blood and resolving stasis in terms of TCM theory.

METHODS:The 31 TCMs extracts were prepared using water, 90% ethanol and ethyl acetate., and the effects on.anti-platelet aggregation were tested on a platelet aggregation analyzer in vitro with adenosine 5'-diphosphate; bovine thrombin and arachi- donic acid (AA) as aggregation inducers, respectively. Aspirin was the positive control.

RESULTS: Lots of the tested TCMs had inhibitory effects with concentration-dependent manner on platelet aggregations induced by various agonists. Especially, some of the TCMs such as Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), Yanhusuo (Rhizoma Corydalis Yanhusuo) and Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) showed good anti-platelet aggregation effect similar or higher than thatin positive control group.

CONCLUSION: The study provided scientific references that several TCMs such as Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), Yanhusuo (Rhizoma Corydalis Yanhusuo) and Danshen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), possess the property of anti-platelet aggregation.