Wound Healing Activity of Neocarya macropyhlla Seed Extracts in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Neocarya macropuylla seed hexane extract (NMSHE) was examined for the presence of various phytoconstituents.  The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by testing the extract on selected drug resistant bacteria viz: S. aureus, E. coli, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and fungi viz: C. albicans, A. niger using agar technique of pour plate and surface plate dilution that were selected based on their peculiarity to humans. Wound healing activity of NMSHE was investigated by formulating a dosage of 5 % and 10 % concentration of the extract in paraffin. 21 wistar rats shared into three groups with each group housing 7 animals each over an experimental period of 21 days were properly fed and  given free access to water throughout the experiment that was authenticated by the weight measurement taken every four days. Investigation of the wound healing activity of the extract was performed by measuring the wound area (mm2) and percentage of wound closure on the 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th day of the study; the wound epitheliasation was determined from the 16th to 20th  days. Histopathological analysis of the control and test groups’ skin tissues, liver, kidney, heart, lung and spleen and haematological evaluation of the blood parameters were carried out at the end of the experiment. The result of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of terpenoids and glycosides in NMSHE. At 5 % and 10 % concentrations, NMSHE inhibited the growth of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. subtilis, C. albicans and A. niger.  Group 2 rats treated with 5 % NMSHE gave a faster and better epitheliasation time than those in group 1 treated with control base ointment. The histopathology and haematology analyses result showed no disparity between the control and the test group; this is a point of reference showing that the extracts seemed to possess some essential constituents which actually hastened the wound healing process. macrophylla seed hexane extract healed the wound created on wistar rats at a faster time than the control ointment hence could probably serve as a replacement to conventional wound healing ointment.