Methanol Leaves Extract of Psidium guajava Linn. Exhibited Antibacterial and Wound Healing Activities

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity and healing efficacy of Psidium guajava leaf on an excision-wound infected with Staphylococcus aureus using a rat model. The antibacterial activities of the methanol leaf extract alone and combinations of the plant extract with amoxicillin as well as the effect of osmotic stress were determined by using broth microdilution method. The therapeutic effect of the methanol extract was evaluated on an excision-wound infected with Staphylococcus aureus. The plant extract displayed antibacterial activity (MIC = 256 – 1024 μg/ml) that varied according to the tested bacterial species. Synergistic effect between amoxicillin and P. guajava extract was observed. The antibacterial activity of the plant extract and chloramphenicol increased under osmotic stress condition whereas that of amoxicillin decreased under this condition. P. guajava extract and Baneocin ointments gave the shortest epithelization times and highest wound contraction rates as well as the greatest weights and total protein contents of granulation tissues as compared to the negative control. The P. guajava methanol extract ointment is non-irritating to the skin and slightly irritating to the eyes. The results of the present study demonstrate the wound healing and antibacterial properties of P. guajava and confirm its traditional use in the treatment of wounds and infectious diseases.