Potential Wound Healing Properties of a Polyherbal Formulation (Amrit oil) in an Experimental Model on Wistar Rats

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Wound healing is an integrated process of cellular and biochemical events in restoring the structural functionality of the damaged tissue caused due to wounds. In the present study, the wound healing potential of an ayurvedic polyherbal formulation, Amrit oil is tested on an experimental model of the excisional wound in Wistar rats and evaluated for its potent activity in wound repair.
 Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were randomly arranged into 4 groups with 6 in each. Excision wound was created on the dorsal side of the rats. Group-I was kept as a negative control, Group-II as reference control, treated with Betadine, Group-III received a tropical application of Amrit oil once in a day and Group- IV were subjected to tropical application of amrit oil twice or Bis in a day. The wound healing was assessed by percentage wound contraction, a period of epithelisation, histopathological analysis and expression of MMP- 2, MMP-8, KGF and HSP-90.
 Results: The effect produced by the ayurvedic polyherbal formulation (Amrit oil), in terms of percentage wound contraction, a period of epithelisation, biochemical gene expression (MMP2, MMP8, HSP90 and KGF) and histopathological analysis were comparable to that of standard drug betadine. This study reveals the healing potential of Amrit oil as compared to the positive control, betadine possibly due to the presence of the phytochemicals in a synergistic manner.
 Conclusion: This study revealed a tremendous healing potential of Amrit oil as compared to the positive
 control, betadine in a holistic manner, confirming the rationality of the traditional knowledge.