TRADITIONAL INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH POTENTIAL WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY: A REVIEW

In last few decades, there has been a great progress in understanding the biochemical and cellular events of normal wound healing. Healing of wounds, either accidental or surgical interventions, involves complex activities of blood cells, tissues, soluble mediators, cytokines and several growth factors. This increased cellular activity of damaged tissue enhances metabolic demands and active drug therapy.  The main objective of treating a wound is to either shorten the time required for healing process or to minimize the undue effects.  Plants due to presence of various valuable active phytoconstituents have immense potential for management and treatment of wounds over the years.  All the Traditional systems of medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani describe applications of drugs of plant, mineral and animal origin to treat and heal wounds. Herbal drugs induce healing and regeneration of lost tissue by number of mechanisms. Due to their traditional applicability, affordability and safety plants gained a reputed position in the world of wound management and repair but scientific evidence for their wound healing potentials are very few. The present review is an attempt to highlight various Indian ethno-medicinal plants which are to be scientifically proved for the treatment of wounds. Beside this review also emphasis on normal wound healing process, pharmacological activities and role of plants in wound management and parameters used to assess wound healing