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| Year : 2011 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 1 | Page : 12-15 |
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| Wound-healing potential of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of apamarga leaves |
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PK Ghosh1, VB Gupta2, MS Rathore2, Iqbal Hussain2
1 Keegad Biogen Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, India
2 TIFAC-CORE in Green Pharmacy, B.R. Nahata College of Pharmacy, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India
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| Date of Submission | 31-Oct-2010 |
| Date of Acceptance | 26-Nov-2010 |
| Date of Web Publication | 15-Jun-2011 |
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 Abstract | | |
The present research work was aimed at exploring the wound-healing activity of alcoholic and an aqueous Achyranthes aspera Linn (apamarga) leaf extract. Leaf extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) were examined for its wound-healing activity in the form of ointment (1% w/w) in Excision model and Incision model in rats. The evaluation was made in terms of wound contractibility and wound closure time. A. aspera Linn leaf extract showed significant (P<0.001) wound-healing activity when compared with control and was as effective as soframycin (standard cream for comparison). The wound-healing potential of ethanolic extract was slightly more compared with aqueous extract. The present study showed the wound-healing potential of apamarga leaves. Keywords: Apamarga, extract, wound
How to cite this article:
Ghosh P K, Gupta V B, Rathore M S, Hussain I. Wound-healing potential of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of apamarga leaves. Int J Green Pharm 2011;5:12-5 |
How to cite this URL:
Ghosh P K, Gupta V B, Rathore M S, Hussain I. Wound-healing potential of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of apamarga leaves. Int J Green Pharm [serial online] 2011 [cited 2013 May 20];5:12-5. Available from: http://www.greenpharmacy.info/text.asp?2011/5/1/12/82089 |
| Introduction | |  |
Traditionally, green leaves of the plant Achyranthes aspera Linn (Apamarga) are commonly used in treatment of vomiting, bronchitis, heart disease, piles, abdominal pains, ascites, dyspepsia, dysentery, blood diseases and stomach ache. Other uses and properties of A. aspera Linn. are antiperoxidative properties; [1] as abortifacient; [2] as antibacterial agent [3] and immunomodulator. [4] A. aspera leaves have been assessed for chemopreventive activity in a wide range of conditions. The methanolic extract, alkaloid, non-alkaloid and saponin fractions exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the Epstein-Barr virus. In vivo two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis test revealed that the total methanolic extract possessed a pronounced anticarcinogenic effect. The study suggested that A. aspera leaf extract and the non-alkaloid fraction are valuable antitumour promotors in carcinogenesis. [5] The usefulness of the plant extracts in fish was also studied in Labeo rohita, rohu. The results showed the immunostimulatory activity of the prepared diet containing root extract of A. aspera. [4]
A. aspera is a well-known Indian medicinal plant used in the indigenous systems of medicine for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. A. aspera inhibited the inflammatory responses at doses of 100 to 200 mg/kg. The study reveal that the ethanolic extract of A. aspera possess anti-inflammatory and -arthritic activity and support the rationale behind the traditional use of the plant in inflammatory conditions. [6]
A. aspera has different types of therapeutic activities including antibacterial, immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity. By virtue of having the above-mentioned activities, it was hypothesised that the plant could also possess wound-healing activity. However, information about wound-healing activity of A. aspera is sparse. Keeping above in view, attempts were made to evaluate the wound-healing potential of aqueous and ethanolic extract of leaves of A. aspera.
| Materials and Methods | | |
Preparation of Apamarga Extract and Preliminary Phytochemical Screening
Extraction: Leaves of A. aspera were cleaned and washed with distilled water to remove any kind of dust particle and dried in shade. Leaves were powdered in a mixer grinder and passed through sieve no. 10 for extraction. Leaves powder was packed in soxhlet assembly and after that defatted with petroleum ether (60-80 o C). Completion of defatting was tested by spot test and the compact mass of powdered leaves was dried at room temperature. Then, extraction was carried out with ethanol (90%) or distilled water for 72 hours. [7]
Photochemical Screening
Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were subjected for detection of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, phytosterols, phenols compound and tannins, proteins, saponins and flavonoids by methods described in literature. [7],[8]
Preparation of Ointment from the Extracts
Method for the preparation of ointment
The stearic acid was melted on a water bath. Potassium hydroxide was dissolved in water and glycerin was added and heated to 85°C. Extract was added slowly to melted stearic acid with constant stirring and cooled. The formulas are given in the [Table 1].
Acute toxicity determination of the extracts
It was performed according to OECD guideline No 434. Starting dose of 2 000 mg/kg of extract was given to randomly selected group of five animals by oral and intraperitoneal route.
Wound-Healing Activity
Twenty-four albino rats (100-150 g) were randomly selected and divided in four groups. These were kept under NIH guidelines and fed water and rat chow ad libitum. Two weeks after procurement, each animal was anaesthetised with ketamine (60 mg/kg intraperitoneally). A full thickness wound through the surgical seizer was formed on the dorsal midline of each animal from a circular template 500 mm 2 in area. Immediately after making wounds, the animals were placed under a fixed camera and photographed. All wounds were left open to heal and the animals were randomly placed into one of four groups. The wounds in Group 1 animals were dressed daily with 0.9% normal saline (control). Aqueous extract of apamarga 1% (in an ointment base) was applied topically in an amount of 0.5 g/cm 2 of wound surface to the wounds of Group 2 animals. In Group 3, ethanolic extract of apamarga 1 (in an ointment base) was applied topically in amount of 0.5 g/cm 2 . Wounds of group 4 animals were treated with soframycin (1%w/w cream) 0.5 g/cm 2 topically. The area of each wound was measured on tracing paper, calculating the area with the help of graph paper on days 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and the mean wound size of each treatment group was compared with control at each time interval.
| Results and Discussion | | |
Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of apamarga leaves showed positive tests for alkaloids, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds and tannins, flavonoids and saponins. For phytosterols and fixed oils, the extracts showed negative results [Table 2].
The ointment prepared with extracts, according to composition showed in [Table 1], were uniform and homogenous in appearance.
Acute studies were conducted twice in animal with a dose mentioned above. Animals were observed for behavioural change and death. No animal was found dead after 14 days. The study was repeated with same dose, and again no death was observed. The results indicate that the extract is safe and nontoxic.
The results of wound-healing activity are shown in [Figure 1], [Table 3] and [Table 4]. At 4, 8, 12 and 16 days, the treatment groups exhibited significantly smaller wounds when compared with control (P<0.001 each group) [Table 3] and [Figure 1]. In all animals of Groups 2 and 3 above 90%, healing was observed and the animals in Group 4 had healed wounds at 16 day, approximately 90% as compared with control group [Table 4]. Thus, from these studies, it is evident that apamarga leaf extract (aqueous and ethanolic) on topical application enhanced wound contraction and healing in this model and are as effective as soframycin. | Figure 1: Photographs of rats. (a) Group 1 -Control, (b) Group 2 -Aqueous extract, (c) Group 3 -Ethanolic extract, (d) Group 4 -Soframycin
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 | Table 3: Effect of A. aspera Linn. extract on excision wound model in albino rat when applied topically
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 | Table 4: Effect of A. aspera Linn. extract on excision wound model in rats when applied topically
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The crude extract showed very good wound-healing properties; however, to reveal due to which fraction of the extract it is so, fractionation studies and their wound-healing screening studies are needed.
| References | | |
| 1. | Tahiliani P, Kar A. Achyranthes aspera elevated thyroid hormone level and decreases hepatic lipid peroxidation in male rats. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;71:527-32. 
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| 2. | Pakrashi A. Abortifacient principle of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Indian J Exp. 1977;15:856-8.
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| 3. | Verma DK, Singh SK, Tripathi VA. Rare antibacterial activity of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Indian Drug 1997;34:32-5.
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| 4. | Rao YV, Chakrabarti R. Dietary incorporation of Achyranthes aspera seed influences the immunity of common carp cyprinus carpio. Indian J Animal Sci 2005;75:1097-102.
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| 5. | Chakraborty A, Brantner A, Mukainaka T, Nobukuni Y, Kuchide M, Konoshima T, et al. Cancer chemopreventive activity of Achyranthes aspera leaves on Epstein-Barr virus activation and two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Lett 2002;177:1-5.
[PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
| 6. | Gokhale AB, Damre AS, Kulkarni KR, Saraf MN. Preliminary evaluation of anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity of S. lappa, A. speciosa and A. aspera. Phytomedicine (Jena) 2002;9:433-7.
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| 7. | Kokate CK. Practical pharmacognosy. 4th ed. New Delhi: Vallabh Prakasan; 2001. p. 108-10,123-4.
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| 8. | Mukherjee PK. Quality Control of Herbal Drugs. New Delhi: Business Horizons; 1st ed. 2002.
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Correspondence Address:
M S Rathore
Pharmaceutical Research Division, TIFAC-CORE in Green Pharmacy, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh - 458 001
India
DOI: 10.4103/0973-8258.82089
[Figure 1]
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4] |
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