Exploring the wound healing activity of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. by in vivo models

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. (Boraginaceae). which is an endemic plant for Turkey, have been used for healing of wounds in folk medicine. The extract of the roots in olive oil and mostly the root barks was applied onto open wounds for rapid healing. Aim of the study: To evaluate the wound healing activity of the roots, extracts were prepared with different solvents; hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively from the roots of Arnebia densiflora. Materials and methods: Incision by using tensiometer and excision models were employed on mice and rats. Results: Significant wound healing activity was observed with the ointment formulation prepared by using hexane extract at 1% concentration on the mentioned models. The results of histopathological examination supported the outcome of both incision and excision wound models. The wound healing effect was comparatively evaluated with a reference ointment Madecassol (R). Conclusion: The experimental data demonstrated that Arnebia densiflora displayed remarkable wound healing activity. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.