Abstract
Wounds remain one of the major causes of death worldwide. Over the years medicinal plants and natural compounds have played an integral role in wound treatment. Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams which is classified among substances with low toxicity has been used for generations in African traditional medicine to treat wounds, including stopping bleeding even from severed arteries. This review examined the potential of the extracts and phytochemicals from A. africana, a common herbaceous flowering plant which is native to Africa in wound healing. In vitro and in vivo studies have provided strong pharmacological evidences for wound healing effects of A. africana-derived extracts and phytochemicals. Singly or in synergy, the different bioactive phytochemicals including alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, α-pinene, carene, phytol, and linolenic acid in A. africana have been observed to exhibit a very strong anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities which are important processes in wound healing. Indeed, A. africana wound healing ability is furthermore due to the fact that it can effectively reduce wound bleeding, hasten wound contraction, increase the concentration of basic fibroblast growth factor (BFGF) and platelet derived growth factor, and stimulate the haematological parameters, including white and red blood cells, all of which are vital components for the wound healing process. Therefore, these facts may justify why A. africana is used to treat wounds in ethnomedicine.
Highlights
A wound can be defined as the disruption of living tissue integrity associated with loss of function [1]
Apart from its enormous potential in wound healing, A. africana is reported to be vital in the treatment and management of myriad of other diseases and disorders in African traditional medicine, including headache, corneal opacities, stomach disorders, cough, gonorrhea, rheumatic pains, and tuberculosis; the leaf infusion is taken as a tonic for women immediately after delivery [17, 18]
The total wound closure and increased inflammatory response suggests that the aqueous extract of the leaves of A. africana promotes wound healing activity through increased inflammatory response and neovascularization
Summary
A wound can be defined as the disruption of living tissue integrity associated with loss of function [1]. D. Adams (Asteraceae), commonly referred to as wild sunflower, is one of the highly valued wound healing plants throughout its distribution range and beyond [12,13,14]. Apart from its enormous potential in wound healing, A. africana is reported to be vital in the treatment and management of myriad of other diseases and disorders in African traditional medicine, including headache, corneal opacities, stomach disorders, cough, gonorrhea, rheumatic pains, and tuberculosis; the leaf infusion is taken as a tonic for women immediately after delivery [17, 18]. This review sought to examine the wound healing potential of A. africana both in vitro and in vivo with the goal of finding new drugs for treatment and management of wounds
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