Effect of Herbal Anticoagulant on ctDNA Yield in Blood from Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancers. It accounts for 90–96% incidence of all head and neck cancers. Understanding molecular pathogenesis can pave the way for precision-based treatment as well as improve the quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Gymnema sylvestre (GS) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on ctDNA yield in OSCC. The prospective study was conducted on 20 primary OSCC patients. The blood samples for patients taken and was preserved in tubes containing GS and EDTA. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to quantify the ctDNA. EDTA and GS have almost similar effects and similar yields on ctDNA from the blood of OSCC. It was concluded that apart from chemical anticoagulants like EDTA, GS can also be used as in-vitro laboratory anticoagulants for storing blood from OSCC, which can be used for molecular analysis.