WOUND HEALING POTENCY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF LEUCAS URTICIFOLIA IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS
AbstractThe present study was planned to investigate the effect of ethanolic extract of Leucas Urticifolia on resutured incision, excision and burn wounds in Wistar rats. Resutured incision, excision and dead space wounds were inflicted under light ether anaesthesia aseptically. In incision wound model the control animals receive only distilled water and all test animals were treated with different doses of Lucas urticifolia ethanolic extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), orally for a period of 10 days. On the day 11, wound breaking strength of the resutured incision wound was estimated. In excision and burn wound models the animals were treated topically daily with two different concentrations (5% and 10%w/w) of extracts and the rats of standard groups were treated with 5% povidone iodine ointment topically till the complete closure. The percentage wound contraction and epithelization period were studied from day of creating wound till complete closure of the wound. The ethanolic extract of L. urticifolia show significant wound healing activity against all wound models studies. High wound breaking strength, high rate of wound contraction and decrease in period of epithelialisation were observed in treated animals when compared to control group of animals. From the results obtained it can be concluded that ethanolic extract of L. urticifolia has significant wound healing activity. The enhanced wound healing activity of ethanolic extract may be due to free radical scavenging action and the antibacterial property of the phytoconstituents (flavonoids) present in it which either due to their individual or additive effect fastens the process of wound healing.