Vateria indica (Linn) resin based ointment for the topical treatment of Radiation-Induced burns in cancer patients

Abstract

Cancer patients undergoing radiation-therapy (RT) suffer from many side-effects like dermatitis and mucositis. A simple economical and effective treatment for this condition required the preparation of an ointment to alleviate dermatological damage from radiation burns. Emphasis was laid upon finding an indigenous natural product therapy but fully authenticated by a thorough study under pharmacological guidelines. An ointment was prepared using the resin Sarja rasa (Ayurveda)/Vellaikungiliyam (Siddha)/Raal (Unani). A correlation between topical damage in RT patients and cellular dimensions was established. To circumvent poor quality controls or species contamination found in commercial sources it was felt important to locate the source of the resin and its botanical authentication. The particle size of the resin present in the ointment was ascertained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resin was obtained by incising and tapping the V. indica L. tree which potentially possess wound-healing and has anti-sarcomic properties. This seminal study was carried out with the permission of ethics committee, targeting patients affected with head and neck cancers. An important aspect of this study was complete exclusion of microbial interference commonly found in indigenous, home-made and some commercial preparations. Therefore, the samples were microbiologically monitored to ensure absolute microbial exclusion from the ointment and thereafter, the stability studies were also conducted. A remarkable change was observed in terms of the decrease in severity of symptoms and shorter duration of healing when compared with the control group.