EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF POLYHERBAL GEL FORMULATION

Abstract

The present study is designed with the aim to formulate and evaluate the polyherbal gels for wound healing activity. The polyherbals selected are Piper betle, Curcuma longa, Aloe vera and Thymus vulgaris. The carbopol 934 gel formulations containing varied concentrations of ethanolic extract of the above-mentioned herbs were formulated and their wound healing activity was studied on experimentally induced wounds in wistar rats. The prepared gels were evaluated for physical appearance, pH; spreadability and skin irritation tests. It was inferred from the results that the formulated gels were good in appearance and homogeneity. The values of spreadability indicated that these polyherbal gels were easily spreadable by small amount of shear and also free from erythema and oedema. Formulations containing 1%, 2% and 4% (G1, G2 and G3) herbal extracts were applied topically once daily to open wounds and compared with control animals. The tensile strength of wounds treated with G3 gel raised and it may be due to increase in collagen synthesis. Wound tissues were examined on days 4, 8, 12 and 16 to estimate DNA, total protein, total collagen, hexosamine and uronic acid. It is inferred that in G3 gel treated groups the amount of protein, hexosamine, collagen and uronic acid increased from day 4 to day 12 and thereafter there was a gradual decrease until the 16th day. Flavonoids, triterpenoids and tannins present in the polyherbal gel and their synergistic action may be responsible for better wound healing activity. The treated wounds showed a faster rate of wound contraction compared with controls and the wound contractions increased with an increase in herbal extract concentration.