European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Introduction: Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perr.) Brenan (Caesalpiniaceae) and Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) are important medicinal plants that have been reported to possess various medicinal properties including wound healing. In the present study methanolic extracts of Erythrophleum suaveolens and Moringa oleifera were evaluated for their wound healing activity using excision wound model in rats.

Methods: Wistar rats (150-200 g) were placed into two groups of non-infected and infected groups. Wound was inflicted on the rats by excision wound model. Local infection was introduced into rat with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using a 10⁸ cell/ml inoculum. Gentamycin (8 mg/ml) and normal saline were used as positive and negative controls respectively. The rate of wound healing was assessed by contraction and period of epithelization.

Results: Contraction rate on day 12 in the non- infected group were 61.0, 36.5 and 46.8% respectively for M. oleifera leaf, E. sauveolens leaf and stem bark; 93.1, 92.1 and 92.0% in the Staphlococcus aureus infected group; 25.8, 28.0 and 30.1% in P. aeruginosa infected group. Complete epithelization in non-infected group was achieved in both plants on day 14, on day 16 in Staphylococcus aureus group and on day 18 in P. aeruginosa group.

Conclusion: The results proved M. oleifera leaf extract as the most active in a dose dependent manner compared to other extracts. The present study provides justification for the use of Moringa oleifera and Erythrophleum suaveolens in herbal medicine for the treatment of normal and complicated wounds as well as skin diseases.