Antiplatelet properties of natural products.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and its main underlying cause, atherothrombosis, are the major culprits of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Apart from the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and the use of antithrombotic agents there is considerable interest in the role of natural food products and their bioactive components in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders. The consumption of healthy diets rich in functional foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, has shown to exert profound cardioprotective effects in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD. Moreover, accumulating data have attributed these beneficial effects, at least in part, to the modulation of key players in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, including amelioration in the lipid profile and vascular function and a decrease in oxidative stress and inflammation. Although with a much less clear picture, natural dietary compounds have also demonstrated to exert antiplatelet activities, further contributing to reduce the thrombotic risk. This article provides a brief overview of the atherothrombotic process to further provide an up-to-date review of the antiplatelet properties exerted by natural products and/or food-derived bioactive constituents - including ω-3 PUFA, olive oil, garlic and onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, polyphenol-rich beverages, and flavonol-rich cocoa - as well as to describe the mechanisms underlying these antiplatelet activities.