Abstract
Background:
Wounds are physical injuries of the skin and healing is a complex process initiated in response to an injury that restores the function and integrity of damaged tissues through different events. Topical applications of phyto-compounds with free radical scavenging properties have shown to improve wound healing and protect tissues from oxidative damage. The classical systems of Indian medicine employ a large number of medicinal plants for treatment of various ailments like wound. The leaves and bark of the Pterolobium hexapetalum are widely used for treat wounds; with this background present study is help to emphasis wound healing properties of this plant
Methods:
In-vitro Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, ABTS and superoxide radical scavenging assays and in-vivo wound healing property was demonstrated using excision, incision, and dead space wound models in Wistar rats by calculating wound contraction percentage, tensile strength and hydroxyproline content respectively, further respective phyto-constituents are profiled using HPLC.
Results:
The study revealed that bark methanol extract registered higher amount of total phenolics (777.44 mg GAE/ g extract), tannins (716.47 mg TAE g-1 extract), flavonoids (354.39 mg RE g-1 extract) and also depicted good DPPH (IC50 2.09 µg ml-1), ABTS (9282.19 µM TE g-1 extract) and superoxide radical scavenging activity (90.20%). Bark methanol extract (5%) exhibited maximum wound contraction percentage (92.50%), minimum epithelialisation time (13.33 days) and high content of hydroxyproline (125.80 mg g-1) at 9th post wounding day (excision model). These results are supported by histopathalogical evaluation of wounded tissue. Also its depicted highest (134.04 %) tensile strength (incision model) and significantly high collagen formation observed in dead space model and this results also strengthened by high level of hydroxyproline content (15.80 mg g-1) when compare to other treated groups. Further quantitative HPLC analysis of bark methanol extract with authentic standards depicted presence of catechin (1.61 µg mg-1), chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid (33.50 µg mg-1), coumaric acid and ferulic acid.
Conclusions:
Present study highlights the remarkable antioxidants and wound healing properties of Pterolobium hexapetalum. This study will encourage the scientific search for more medicinal properties to combat the ever increasing demand of medicine for the mankind.
