In-vivo Therapeutic Evaluation of the Wound Healing Potential of Ethanolic Extract of Trichilia heudelotii Leaves in Wistar Rats

BackgroundTrichilia heudelotii belongs to the Meliaceae family and is commonly used in indigenous African medicine to prevent and treat various microbial ailments. MethodsTrichilia heudelotiis ethanolic leaf extracts contains phytochemicals which was studied to demonstrate its wound-healing properties. Phytochemical screening of leaf extracts contains flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids, which play a vital part in the healing process. Overall, quantitative, and qualitative screening were performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Trichilia heudelotiis phytochemicals for wound treatment. ResultsThe wound-healing potency was evaluated using different concentrations of formulated oil extracts (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0g/10g) on fresh wounds inflicted on Wistar rats using the excision model. Healing capacity was assessed based on rate of wound contracting ability, time of wound closure, and epithelisation period. The results shows that leaf extract oils exhibited significant wound healing capacity (p<0.05) compared with controls. On the 18th day in the infected group using 2.0/10g extract formulated ointment, 100% wound closure was observed. On day 21, using 0.5/10g and 1.0/ 10g, extract formulated ointment compared with controls which exhibited 79% and 89%, respectively. In addition, histopathological characteristics show increased and well-organized new bands of collagen and fibroblasts in the extract formulated treatment than in the controls, which supports the wounding healing potential of the plant. This is the first report providing therapeutic evidence for the wound healing activity of ethanolic leaf extract on Wistar rats. ConclusionThis indicate the evidence that establish the traditional use of Trichilia heudelotii extract for treating skin infections and wounds. The results also raise the possibility of developing a commercialized medicinal product-based venture based on this extract. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=176 SRC="FIGDIR/small/571768v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (34K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@18dbe8corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d8eb90org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15152f7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1de83e_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG