In vivo Evaluation of the Hemostatic and Cicatrising Activities of a Gel Based on Vernonia Conferta Benth. On Post-extraction Wounds in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the progress in oral surgical techniques, the occurrence of post operative haemorrhage can lead to delayed healing. It is with this in mind that we proposed to explore other therapeutic avenues to try to provide other solutions through traditional African medicine. The Aim of the Study: To evaluate the haemostatic and healing activity of a Vernonia conferta-based gel on postextractional wounds induced in Wistar rats. Methodology: An experimental study was conducted over a period of eight months during 2021 at the multidisciplinary laboratory of Galenic Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Legislation of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé 1. A gel formulation test carried out in standard proportions for a 2% concentration such as the Elugel reference gel used as a positive control. To evaluate the haemostatic and healing activity, we made up three batches of five female wistar rats with a body mass of between 100 and 130 grams, acclimatised for three days before the experiment. This test consisted of performing an avulsion of the central incisor in the rat and then applying our active principle for 5 successive days on one of the batches and our reference gel on the other batch, while the last batch will be under observation receiving no treatment and considered as a negative control. The observation was carried out during 14 days while respecting the feeding conditions of the animals. The haemostatic activity was evaluated using a stopwatch or we took the bleeding time after tooth extraction in the constituted batches. The healing activity was evaluated by taking a tissue sample from the extraction site on days 3, 7 and 14 for histological analysis. Results: The aqueous extract-based gel, made in standard proportions at a 2% concentration like the reference gel used as a positive control, stopped bleeding almost instantly, and clot formation occurred within 1-3 minutes after application. As for the healing activity, the batch of rats that received our test gel showed a rapid re-epithelialization observed on day 14ème, testifying to the restitution of the tissue injured during avulsion. Conclusion: The adhesion of Vernonia conferta aqueous leaf gel to the post-extraction alveolar mucosa in vivo in wistar rats has a favourable profile, as it allows faster haemostasis and accelerated healing.