Evaluation of anti-inflammatory and wound healing potential of tannins isolated from leaf callus cultures of Achyranthes aspera and Ocimum basilicum

Herbal medicines are important in treatment of inflammation as they are safe and nontoxic. Tannins are important bioactive compounds used as anti-inflammatory agents and possess wound healing potential. Anti-inflammatory activity of tannins extracted from seedling leaf tissue and callus culture extracts of Achyranthes aspera L. and Ocimum basilicum L. were determined using Carrageenan induced paw edema model. Wound healing potential of tannins from callus cultures of leaf explants of both plants were evaluated using four models in rabbits i.e. excision, incision, dead space and burn wound. Group I acted as control, Group II treated with Povidone iodine as standard drug. Groups III and IV were experimental groups treated with creams which consisted of tannins of callus cultures of leaf; cream A (A. aspera) and cream O (O. basilicum). The results of anti-inflammatory activity of callus cultures of leaf explants were comparable with standard drug Indomethacin. Seedling leaf tissue and callus culture extracts of A. aspera and O. basilicum plant showed decrease in paw edema thickness, size and maximum percentage inhibition of paw edema respectively. Among four wound models burn wound showed the best wound contraction by Cream O. Hydroxyproline content and tensile strength of dead space and incision wounds exhibited good result also respectively. Cream O exhibited best results as compared to cream A. Histopathological examination showed that cream O showed faster rate of fibroblast and collagen formation as compared to cream A. The results showed that condensed tannins of callus cultures of leaf of A. aspera exhibited the best anti-inflammatory activity while tannins from callus cultures O. basilicum showed the best results for wound healing. These findings may enable use of both plants for formulation of new phytomedicine.