A Comparative Study of Plant Extracts on the Healing of Excised Wound: Tensile Strength and Histological Studies

In this study, we analyzed the wound healing effect of Chromolaena odorataand Calotropis giganteain animal models by monitoring the wound contraction of full thickness excision wounds. The animals used for the purpose were Albino rats. The leaves of Chromolaena odoratawere collected freshly and crushed well in the mortar and pestle without adding any solvent. The crude extract was collected and applied topically over the wound. The latex from Calotropis gigantea was collected from the leaf nodes and applied directly over the wound. The plant materials were applied over the wound on the housed animals on alternate days and tissue samples were collected from them on every fourth day. The tissue samples collected were used for histological studies and biochemical estimations. From the results obtained it was concluded that there were no traces of any serious side effects in the rats under study, except that the group ofanimals treated with the latex of Calotropis gigantea has shown moderate inflammation, ulceration and necrosis with little enhanced edema. But the rate of wound contraction was more when compared to the control group of animals and also Chromolaena odorata. It also exhibited increased tensile strength in the newly formed granulation tissues. Chromolaena odorataalso did not show any undesirableeffects. Unlike Calotropis gigantea, the group of animals treated with the leafjuice from Chromolaena odorata displayed very less edema, inflammation, necrosis and ulceration in the granulation tissues.