EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF FICUS GLOMERATA ON WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Traditionally, Ficus glomerata is used for wound healing activity. Since no detailed scientific data are available regarding the wound-healing activity of F. glomerata, the present study was designed to explore the effect of hydro-alcoholic leaf extract of Ficus glomerata (HEFG) on experimentally induced excision and incision wound models in Wistar rats. The wound-healing efficacy of Hydroalcoholic extracts of F. glomerata was evaluated in excision and incision wound models by topically applying the Hydroalcoholic extract in the form of ointment as per Indian Pharmacopoeia. The extract was formulated in ointment base at concentrations of 5% and 10% and topically applied to the wounds. In the excision and incision wound model, topical application of different concentrations of Ficus glomerata extract ointment (5% and 10% w/w extract in the simple ointment) has shown a high rate of wound contraction and decrease in the period of epithelisation time and improved the tensile strength to a greater extent when compared to control (simple ointment treated) group. The 10% extract ointment treated group demonstrated greater wound-healing promoting property than the 5% extract ointment treated animals. In the excision wound model, the animals showed a significant reduction in the period of epithelisation and improved wound contraction, whereas the increase in the breaking strength was evident from the incision model. The results suggest that the hydro-alcoholic leaf extract of Ficus glomerata (HEFG) possesses wound healing property when applied topically.