Abstract

EVALUATION OF ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANT DRUGS FOR WOUND HEALING PRACTICED BY TRIBAL HEALERS OF BILIGIRIRANGANA HILLS (KARNATAKA), INDIA.

*Panduranga Murthy G., Chandrasekhar K.B and Lokesh S.

ABSTRACT

A tribal formulation comprises various combinations of different parts of ethno-medicinal plants and extracts of the identified candidate plants such as Discorea hispida, Dennst, (Dioscoreceae); Glycosmis mauritiana Tanaka, (Rutaceae); Nothapodytes nimmoniana Blume (Icacinaceae), Andrographis serphyllifolia, Vahl (Acanthaceae) and Rauvolfia densiflora (Wall.) Benth & Hook (Apocynaceae) are claimed to have a significant wound healing action followed by treating similar ailments owing to microbial infections (both Gram negative and Gram positive pathogens). The present study aimed to collect, analyze and evaluate the prosperous ethnopharmacologic knowledge on some less-known ethno-medicinal plants and their formulations practiced by Tribal healers in Biligirirangana Hills (BRT), Chamarajanagara district (Karnataka), India. The study initiated with identifying the important ethno-medicinal plants species used in traditional medicine for wound caused due to skin cuts, inflammation and skin infection by means of microorganisms. Supplementary analysis was also made by comparison of the traditional medicinal use of ethno-medicinal plants and their drug formulations with the available data of scientific literature. The Tribal medicinal formulation prepared with poly herbal mixtures was validated with the help of Ayurvedic Practitioner and possible modifications was done in order to ascertain the efficacy of Tribal Medicine Formulation. The validated ethno-medicinal formulation (TMF) was then subjected for wound healing action in both water extract and ethanol extract formulation using exicision and incision models to uphold the gains in tensile strength of promoting epithelialization and wound contraction using excision wound models. Both Crude and Ethanol extracts of this TMF was studied for its remarkable effects on wound healing in rats, using excision, incision and dead-space wound models respectively at two different dose levels of 400 and 800 mg/kg. A significant acceleration of re-epithelialization was observed with crude and ethanol extracts of TMF compared to the controls after (16th day) the Period of epithelialization. This property may be due to the effect of these formulations of ethno-medicinal herbs on migration and mitosis of epithelial cells and promotion of contraction of myo-fibroblasts which is responsible for the wound contraction. The TMF showed a definite, positive effect on wound healing, with a significant increase in the levels of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, in the granuloma tissue. The efficacy of this plant in wound healing may be due to its action on antioxidant enzymes, thereby justifying the claim by tribal/traditional healers. In addition, the tribal formulation used in the study is known to promote wound healing processes mainly due to their astringent and antimicrobial properties, which appears to be responsible for wound contraction and increased rate of epithelialization with reduced duration. After day 16, the animals were sacrificed and the histology of the wound area was examined. The best wound healing activity was observed with the crude extract of proposed TMF. Besides, Histopathology of Granulaoma tissue obtained from the group treated with both water and ethanol extracts of TMF showed significant increase in collagen deposition with more fibroblasts. The out-come of the study therefore attempts to bridge the lacunae in the existing literature and offers immense scope for researchers engaged in validation of the tribal/traditional claims and development of very safe, effective and globally accepted herbal drugs for cuts and wounds.

Keywords: Ethno-medicinal plant drug, Tribal Medicine formulation (TMF), Tribal/Traditional Healers, Wound healing, Excision model, Aqueous/Water extract, Ethanolic extract.