Topical Hemostatic Effect of a Common Ornamental Plant, the Geraniaceae Pelargonium zonale

Abstract

Geranium has been traditionally used as a local hemostatic medicine in some Andean regions, but this effect has not been tested in controlled experiments. In the present report, the leaves of a geraniaceae (Pelargonium zonale) were tested on a bleeding rat model. The bleeding time was 50% shorter in the geranium leaf juice treatment group (18.10 +/- 2.03 min) and 80% shorter in the geranium crushed-leaf group (7.10 +/- 0.88 min) than in the control (nontreatment) group (37.6 +/- 3.04 min), p < 0.0001. Bleeding time with guava (Psidium guajava) crushed leaves (39.90 +/- 1.54 min) was not different from the control group. A proved hemostatic agent, gelatin sponge, had a similar effect as geranium juice (16.7 +/- 3.32 min) in the same animal model. A buffer solution at pH 3 (the same pH as the geranium leaf extract) did not have any hemostatic effect, and the bleeding time (39.3 +/- 2.71 min) was not different from the control group. The dilution 1:4 geranium leaf juice at pH 3(25.6 +/- 3.08 min) or pH 5 (28.8 +/- 3.98 min) still had a statistically significant hemostatic effect. The results confirm the hemostatic effect of P. zonale leaves and show that it is similar (geranium leaf juice) or better (crushed geranium leaves) than the hemostatic effect of a commercial hemostatic sponge. It seems that the hemostasis caused by P. zonale extract leaves is not due to its low pH. The potential benefits as a new, inexpensive, safe, and easily available natural topical hemostatic agent are discussed.

Hemostatic Efficacy of Ankaferd Blood Stopper® in a Swine Bleeding Model

“…Since biological agents are expensive and carry the risk of transmission of infectious agents, some research had a focus on plants. A few plant extracts with a proven topical hemostatic effect have been reported [11][12][13] . The ideal topical hemostatic agent should be easy to use (even on the battlefield), effective within minutes, in both arterial and venous bleeding, and not toxic and anaphylactic [14] .…”

Analysis of the hemostatic efficacy of polyurethane foam using a novel method to compare topical hemostatic agents in a rat tail-tip model

“…13,14 The most important modification was the use of a test device that was developed for this study. The test device ensured a constant pressure to the wound that was equal for all test materials.…”

“…11,12 The materials were compared with each other using a previously described rat tail-tip model that was currently modified to acquire a new standardized test model. 13,14 In this model the tail was transected at 5 mm from the tip and the test materials were applied to the wound with a constant and equal pressure until cessation of the bleeding occurred.…”

Topical Hemostatic Agents: A Review

“…Páez and Hernandez, 63 using a rat model, found that geranium leaf juice or crushed leaf decreased bleeding time by 50 and 80%, respectively, compared to control. A 1:4 dilution of the leaf juice extract did not alter the efficacy of hemostasis, nor did a change in pH.…”