Abstract
Croton macrostachyus leaves are used for treatment of wounds by traditional healers in Ethiopia. Despite the use of this plant in the treatment of wound, there is limited data to support its medicinal use. The present study provides scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of methanolic extract of C. macrostachyus leaves in rats. The leaves of Croton macrostachyus were studied for the presence of some secondary metabolites and wound healing activity. Ointments were made by incorporating the methanolic extract in simple ointment base B.P. in the concentration of 5 and 10% (w/w). Standard Nitrofurazone was used for comparison. Wound healing activity was studied, using excision and incision wound models. In excision wound model, percentage wound contraction, period of epithelization and morphological changes on the healed wounds were studied while incision wound model was used to determine breaking strength. The results were expressed as mean ± standard error of mean (SEM) and comparisons among treatment groups were made using one-way analysis of variance. Phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts of leaves of C. macrostachyus showed the presence of different metabolites such as flavonoids and saponins which are reported to have significant wound healing activity. The results of epithelization period, percentage of wound contraction and morphological evaluation of groups of animals in the test groups showed significant (p < 0.05) wound healing activity compared to those treated with simple ointment. Similarly, the difference in breaking strength was significant (p < 0.05) for both 5 and 10% (w/w) methanol extract of C. macrostachyus ointment treated groups. Morphological evaluation showed a relatively better healing and growth of hair around the wound area in the 10% methanol extract of C. macrostachyus ointment treated group. Methanolic extract of C. macrostachyus enhanced wound healing significantly, corroborating the folk medicinal use of this plant. Key words: Croton macrostachyus, excision, incision, in vivo, wound healing.
Highlights
Wound is a major problem in developing countries, often having severe complications and involving high costs of therapy (Shenoy et al, 2011)
Qualitative phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract of leaves of C. macrostachyus showed the presence of free anthraquinones, flavonoids, phytosterols, polyphenols, saponins and tannins; the extract was found to be negative for alkaloids
The effects of methanolic extract of different doses of C. macrostachyus on percentage wound contraction and epithelization period are shown in Tables 1 and 2
Summary
Wound is a major problem in developing countries, often having severe complications and involving high costs of therapy (Shenoy et al, 2011). Wound healing is a complex process which requires the collaborative efforts of different tissues of varying cell lineage (Suntar et al, 2011). It involves platelet aggregation, blood clotting, formation of fibrin, alteration in the ground substances, angiogenesis, and re-epithelialization. Healing is not complete until the disrupted surfaces are firmly knit by collagen (Guo and DiPietro, 2010). In spite of remarkable advances in pharmaceutical drug industry, the availability of drugs capable of stimulating the process of wound healing is still limited (Abraham et al, 2012). There are no widely accepted, standardized protocols that define optimal standard treatment or the appropriate intensity of treatment delivery (Samson et al, 2004)
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