Evaluation of the wound healing activity of Buxus sempervirens L. and Centaurium erythraea (L.) Rafn. by using in vivo and in vitro Methods

Buxus sempervirens L. (Buxaceae) and Centaurium erythraea (L.) Rafn. (Gentianaceae) have been used for wound healing in Turkish traditional medicine. In order to evaluate the wound healing potential of these plants three different extracts were successively prepared from 500 gr of plant materials by extracting with 4000 ml of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol at room temparature for 24 hours. The extracts were evaporated to dryness in vacuo. The healing process was investigated with a circular excision and a linear incision wound model to analyse the wound contraction and tensile strength in vivo. The anti-inflammatory potential, which is related to the wound healing activity, was evaluated by an in vivo experimental model based on the inhibition of acetic acid-induced increase in capillary permeability assessment. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations were done too. For the antioxidant activity assessment DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay was applied. According to the results of the present study, methanol extracts of both B. sempervirens and C. erythraea displayed remarkable wound healing activity with the significant tensile strength values of 30.4 and 34.7%, respectively on the linear incision wound model. Similarly, methanol extracts demonstrated notable wound healing effect with the 59.5 and 71.5% contraction values, respectively on the circular excision wound model.