PA01.24. A literature study on the medicinal preparations mentioned in Sri Lankan indigenous medicine for chronic wound healing

Abstract

Purpose: Chronic wounds are a challenge to the modern medical science since there is no proper medication to correct this imbalance as to stimulate and enhance the growth of healthy granulation tissue making the wound fill up. When Sri Lankan traditional medicine is concerned it has been strewn with a large number of medicinal formulas for wound healing especially for granulation tissue formation. The primary intention of this study was to collect these formulas and analyse them to come up with the most frequently used herbal, mineral and animal material. It was also wished to analyse their pharmacodynamics properties to see how they agree with Ayurvedic theories in healing a wound. Method: For this purpose, a literature study was carried out by referring 30 major Sri Lankan Traditional texts and manuscripts. Formulas which particularly prescribed for tissue formation (Vrana ropana) were retrieved. They were studied, analysed and were calculated to come up with the mostly used ingredients. Result: At the end of the study 152 formulas were analysed gathering 157 herbal material, 10 minerals and 8 materials of animal origin i.e. 176 materials in total. The analysis revealed that Ficus religiosa, Ridi thuththam (Calamine) and Bee's wax as the most frequently mentioned material in wound healing formulae in Sri Lankan traditional medical texts. Pharmacodynamic analysis showed essential properties in nutrition and growth. Conclusion: It was seen that the Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine possesses a rich pool of medicinal formulas for chronic wound healing. Ficus religiosa, Ridi thuththam (Calamine) and Bee's wax as the most frequently used materials with herbal, mineral and animal origin respectively in wound healing formulae in Sri Lankan traditional medical texts.