Nutmeg shows promise as a natural coagulant and antidiabetic agent

Researchers from the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica have found that nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) can be used to promote blood clotting and prevent diabetes. The study was published in the Journal of Medical Food.

• For the study, the authors investigated the procoagulant properties of M. fragrans, including the underlying effect behind the process.
• To determine its ability to promote clotting, they tested M. fragrans based on its blood coagulation time and the fibrinolytic system.
• The team isolated compounds 2 and 5 from M. fragrans extract, and their abilities were examined for the first time.
• The compounds did not have fibrinolytic activity; however, it was able to prevent the fibrinolysis of urokinase.
• Researchers noted the following inhibitory activities (IC₅₀) from the compounds isolated from M. fragrans:
  • Compound 2 — 1.747 mg/mL
  • Compound 4 — 1.818 mg/mL
  • Compound 1 — 2.407 mg/mL
• While compound 2 had the highest IC₅₀ value, all M. fragrans fractions had higher values that Danshen drugs (6.577 mg/mL).
• Both compounds 1 and 2 were able to inhibit alpha-glucosidase activity in a dose-dependent manner at IC₅₀ values of 21.76 ± 0.59 and 21.31 ± 0.00 mcg/mL, respectively.

The findings revealed that M. fragrans has potential anti-diabetes and procoagulant uses.

Learn more about natural treatments for diabetes at DiabetesSceinceNews.com.

Journal Reference:

Zhang Y, Xie P, Guo X, Kang W. PROCOAGULANT SUBSTANCE AND MECHANISM OF MYRISTICA FRAGRANS. Journal of Medicinal Food. 1 November 2016;19(11):1065–1073. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2016.3700