The leaves of Crateva religiosa are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various kinds of wounds. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of herbal ointments formulated with the methanol extract of Crateva religiosa leaf on experimentally induced wounds in rats using the excision wound model. The animals were divided into five groups of five animals each. In the test groups 10, 15 and 20% extract of C. religiosa were topically applied once a day as ointment on groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Group 1 received blank petroleum jelly topically once a day while group 5 was treated topically with the standard drug, penicillin ointment. The mean wound sizes of all the animals were measured on the 3rd, 9th, 15th and 18th day post wounding and the mean percentage reduction in wound area calculated. Results obtained showed a dose dependent percentage reduction in wound area with the the 15% C. religiosa leaf extract (group 3) recording the highest mean percentage wound reduction (83 %) compared to the standard drug penicillin ointment which achieved complete wound healing after 18 days post wounding. This study suggests that C. religiosa leaf extract could be developed as a therapeutic agent for wound healing.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Plant Material
2.2 Extraction
2.3 Chemicals and Drugs
2.4 Experimental Animals
2.5 Preparation of herbal ointment
2.6 Wound induction
2.7 Measurement of Wound area
3. Results and Discussion
Research Objectives and Focus
The primary objective of this study is to scientifically evaluate the wound healing potential of herbal ointments formulated from the methanol extract of Crateva religiosa leaves using an excision wound model in albino rats.
- Extraction and formulation of Crateva religiosa leaf extract into herbal ointments.
- Evaluation of wound contraction rates at different concentrations (10%, 15%, 20%).
- Comparative analysis against standard medicinal treatment (penicillin ointment) and a negative control (petroleum jelly).
- Assessment of dose-dependent therapeutic efficacy in wound closure.
- Documentation of the clinical healing progress over an 18-day period.
Excerpt from the Publication
Introduction
Wound healing is a process of repair that follows injury to the skin and other soft tissues. it is fundamentally a connective tissue response and the initial stages of wound healing involve an acute inflammatory phase followed by synthesis of collagen and other extracellular matrix which are later remodeled to form a scar. wound healing can be classified into three types- healing by first intention, healing by second intention and healing by third intention, depending on the nature of the edges of the healed wounds. the healing of wounds is a complicated and expensive process and research on drugs that increase wound healing is an on going process.
Several drugs obtained from plant sources are known to increase the healing of different types of wounds. Some of these drugs have been screened scientifically for evaluation of the wound healing activity in different pharmacological models and patients but the potential of many of the traditionally used herbal agents remains unexplored. Crateva religiosa is a flowering tree that grows upto nine meters tall, with smooth brown bark and prominent yellowish lenticels on the branches. It is ubiquitous in tropical Africa, where it is cultivated for its edible fruits, Madagascar, tropical Asia, the Pacific islands and Japan. In Nigeria, extract from the leaves is used as an inflammatory, rubefacient, internal febrifuge and as a wound healing agent.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the biological process of wound healing and introduces Crateva religiosa as a traditionally utilized but scientifically under-evaluated herbal agent.
2. Materials and Methods: This section details the systematic approach, including plant harvesting, extraction procedures, preparation of ointment concentrations, and the experimental setup involving albino rats.
3. Results and Discussion: This chapter presents the data regarding wound contraction percentages and compares the efficacy of different Crateva religiosa extract concentrations against standard drug treatments.
Keywords
Crateva religiosa, Wound healing, Herbal ointment, Excision wound model, Methanol extract, Albino rats, Penicillin, Wound contraction, Medicinal plants, Topical application, Dermatology, Traditional medicine, Collagen synthesis, Soft tissue repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines the therapeutic efficacy of leaf extracts from the plant Crateva religiosa in promoting the healing of experimental skin wounds.
What are the central topics covered?
The study covers botanical extraction, pharmaceutical formulation of herbal ointments, and the comparative pharmacological testing of these treatments on wound closure rates.
What is the primary objective of the experiment?
The goal is to determine if Crateva religiosa extract accelerates wound healing in a dose-dependent manner and to establish its potential as an affordable therapeutic alternative.
Which scientific methodology was utilized?
The researchers utilized an excision wound model on albino rats, measuring wound contraction percentages over 18 days and analyzing the data using one-way ANOVA.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the preparation of the ointment base, the induction of controlled wounds, the application protocols for different test groups, and the mathematical determination of wound contraction.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Crateva religiosa, wound healing, herbal ointment, excision wound model, and pharmacological evaluation.
Why was the study concluded after 18 days?
The study concluded on the 18th day because the standard drug (penicillin ointment) achieved 100% epithelization, representing the clinical end point of complete wound closure.
How effective was the 15% extract compared to others?
The 15% extract (Group 3) recorded the highest mean percentage wound reduction (83%) among the test groups by day 18, demonstrating significant efficacy.
- Citar trabajo
- Kingsley Adimabua (Autor), G. A. Awemu (Autor), C. A. Okonkwo (Autor), A. M. Odiegwu (Autor), 2013, Evaluation of the Wound Healing Effect of Herbal Ointment Formulated with "Crateva Religiosa" Leaf Extract, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/207816
