Anti-platelet Activity of Aqueous Garlic Extract in Rodent Models: Implications for Veterinary Thrombosis Management

Thrombosis represents a significant complication in veterinary patients with conditions including feline cardiomyopathy, protein-losing nephropathy, and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. Conventional anti-platelet drugs such as aspirin and clopidogrel are used in veterinary practice but may be expensive or inaccessible in rural Nigerian settings. Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is widely cultivated and consumed across Nigeria and has demonstrated anti-platelet activity in human studies through thiosulphinate-mediated inhibition of cyclooxygenase and ADP-induced platelet aggregation. This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo anti-platelet activity of aqueous garlic extract in rodent models. In vitro platelet aggregation was assessed by optical aggregometry in platelet-rich plasma from rats exposed to garlic extract at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/mL, using ADP and collagen as inducers. In vivo anti-thrombotic activity was evaluated by the collagen plus epinephrine thromboembolism model in mice treated with garlic extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg for seven days. Garlic extract caused dose-dependent inhibition of ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation in vitro, with maximum inhibition of 67.3 percent at 2.0 mg/mL. In vivo, extract-treated mice showed significantly lower mortality from pulmonary thromboembolism. Tail bleeding time was prolonged in extract-treated animals, indicating systemic anti-platelet effect. These findings demonstrate meaningful anti-platelet activity of aqueous garlic extract in rodent models, supporting further clinical investigation of its potential use as an adjunct or alternative anti-thrombotic agent in veterinary medicine. Keywords: garlic, anti-platelet, thrombosis, platelet aggregation, Allium sativum.