Assessment of Wound Healing Activity of Roots of Bauhinia variegata Linn. by Excision and Incision Model in Albino Rats

The plant Bauhinia variegata Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) is commonly known as Mountain Ebony. It is widely used in folklore medicine in treatment of ulcer, to prevent obesity, as an astringent, tonic and in skin diseases. To evaluate the wound healing activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Bauhinia variegata Linn. ischolar_main by excision and incision wound models in rats as there were no scientific reports on its wound healing activity.

Excision and incision wound models were used to evaluate the wound healing activity of both ethanolic and aqueous extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w. using albino Wistar rats. The wound healing activity was assessed by percentage of wound closure, period of epithelialization, hydroxyproline estimation and histopathological studies of the granulation tissue for excision wound model and incision wound model was evaluated by tensile strength measurement. Treatment with aqueous and ethanolic extracts of ischolar_main of Bauhinia variegata Linn. at both the doses produced significant (P<0.001) wound healing activity. Ethanolic extract produced wound healing activity which was comparable to control in both wound models. The result of wound healing activity was substantiated by the histopathological evaluation. Phenolic content of ethanolic and aqueous extracts were found to be 14.88 and 22.62 μg/mg of pyrocatechol equivalents respectively. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts exhibited significant wound healing activity probably due to the presence of flavonoids.