Wound Healing Property of Saponins of Herbal Drugs

Abstract

A combined study was conducted on five important medicinal plants: Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (1), Calotropis procera (Br.) (2), Mentha piperita L. (3), one of the most economically important aromatic and medicinal crop worldwide; Sida cordifolia (Linn). (4), and Euphorbia neriifolia L. (5), a species of spurge found in West Bengal and other regions of India. On the basis of their importance in traditional systems of medicine, we have chosen these plants for screening in excision and incision wound studies. The phytochemical analysis of the aerial parts yielded five types of crude saponin extracts. After performing preliminary tests to confirm the presence of saponins in the crude extracts, we conducted experiments to analyse the effects of crude saponins 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on biochemical and pathological changes in Wistar rats. Fractions 1, 2, and 3 were found to enhance cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site, as indicated by increased DNA synthesis and protein content. The post-wound tissues were removed on the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and fourteenth days and subsequently analysed for specific assays. We found that all five crude extract fractions (1, 2, 4, and crude saponin) were more effective than the other fractions. Treatments with fractions 1, 2, and 4 significantly decreased the levels of lipid peroxides (LPs), while the activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly increased compared to the control. The results further support the authenticity and beneficial effects of fractions 1, 2, and 4, all of which are responsible for augmented wound healing and potential antioxidant activity. These triterpenoid saponin fractions enhanced the wound healing, possibly due to their effect on cellular mechanism level, thereby creating a microenvironment conducive to tissue repair and remodelling as compared to the fraction 3 and 5.