Abstract

Platelets are crucial mediators of the acute complications of atherosclerosis causing life-threatening ischemic events throughout plaque development. The inhibition of the platelet function has been used for a long time in an effort to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. However, morbidity and mortality figures indicate that current anti-platelet strategies are far from a panacea. In this context, a large number of natural bioactive compounds (NBCs) (polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids and fatty acids, among others) have been reported with apparent inhibitory activity on human platelets and each constituent may possess multiple targets. In this sense, the article describes how the mechanism of anti-platelet action by NBCs peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors agonists is mediated by inhibition of protein kinase-alpha, cyclooxygenase-1, thromboxane A2, cytosolic calcium, and indirect stimulation of protein kinase A (increased in cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels) and protein kinase G (increased in cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels).