Medicines Research Group, School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, United Kingdom; Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria
Adetutu, A., Medicines Research Group, School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, United Kingdom, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria; Morgan, W.A., Medicines Research Group, School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, United Kingdom; Corcoran, O., Medicines Research Group, School of Health and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, United Kingdom
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Traditional healers in Nigeria employ a range of plant preparations as wound healing agents. Despite the use of local plants in wound healing, there is only scant literature on the wound healing properties of these plants to support the continued therapeutic application of these herbal remedies. Aim of the study: To document plants commonly used to treat wounds in South-western Nigeria and to test the scientific basis of such claims using relevant in vitro tests. Materials and methods: Structured questionnaires were used to determine which plant preparations are in common use, via interviews with Yoruba traditional healers. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the nine most common plants cited by the healers were collected, identified and tested using relevant in vitro wound healing assays. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. Antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH assay and fibroblast proliferation determined by neutral red assay. Results: A total of 20 traditional healers from South-western Nigeria were involved in the study. Thirty-six plant species were recorded with their local names and parts used in the traditional wound healing preparations. Ethanolic extracts of nine species most frequently cited by the healers exhibited strong antioxidant activities (3.8-31.3 μg/ml) comparable to ascorbic acid (7.3 μg/ml). Crude extracts of the selected plants also inhibited the growth of bacteria with MIC values 0.3-7.6 mg/ml. Ethanol extracts of Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (1-30 μg/ml) and Parkia biglobosa Jacq. (15-30 μg/ml) influenced the proliferation of dermal fibroblasts significantly (p < 0.05). Extracts from the remaining seven plants either had no effect on fibroblast proliferation or were cytotoxic. Conclusion: Traditional use of many wound-healing plants from Nigeria can be rationalised by activity determined in relevant in vitro investigations of ethanol and aqueous extracts. These results support the traditional selection of these plants in South-western Nigeria for wound healing. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd All rights reserved.
Acalypha wilkesiana extract; Aframomum melegueta extract; Ageratum conyzoides extract; annona senegalensis extract; Anogeissus leiocarpa extract; Azadirachta indica extract; Bridelia ferruginea extract; Capsicum frutescence extract; Carica papaya extract; Chromolaena odorata extract; Citrullus lanatus extract; Cocos nucifera extract; Crassocephalum crepidioides extract; Datura stramonium extract; Dichrostachys glomerata extract; Dioscorea hirtiflora extract; Diospyros canaliculata extract; euphorbia heterophylla extract; Euphorbia poissonii extract; Ficus asperifolia extract; Flabellaria paniculata extract; Hibiscus sabdariffa extract; Jatropha curcas extract; Lawsonia inermis extract; Lycopersicon esculentum extract; Morinda lucida extract; Nymphaea lotus extract; Parkia biglobosa extract; plant extract; unclassified drug; unindexed drug; Acalypha wilkesiana; Aframomum melegueta; ageratum conyzoides; annona senegalensis; Anogeissus leiocarpa; antibacterial activity; antioxidant activity; article; assay; Azadirachta indica; Bacillus subtilis; bark; bridelia ferruginea; Capsicum frutescence; cell proliferation; Chromolaena odorata; coconut; controlled study; Crassocephalum crepidioides; cytotoxicity; Datura stramonium; Dichrostachys glomerata; Dioscorea hirtiflora; Diospyros canaliculata; Escherichia coli; ethnopharmacology; euphorbia heterophylla; Euphorbia poissonii; Ficus asperifolia; Flabellaria paniculata; fruit; hibiscus sabdariffa; human; human cell; in vitro study; jatropha curcas; Lawsonia inermis; medicinal plant; minimum inhibitory concentration; morinda lucida; neutral red assay; Nigeria; nonhuman; Nymphaea lotus; ocimum gratissimum; Olax subscorpioides; papaya; Parkia biglobosa; Piliostigma thonningii; plant leaf; plant stem; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; questionnaire; Ricinus communis; Sida acuta; skin fibroblast; Staphylococcus aureus; tomato; traditional medicine; tridax procumbens; vernonia amygdalina; watermelon; wound healing; Xylopia aethiopica; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Bacteria; Biphenyl Compounds; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethnopharmacology; Fibroblasts; Humans; Medicine, African Traditional; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nigeria; Picrates; Plant Preparations; Plants, Medicinal; Questionnaires; Wound Healing; Bacillus subtilis; Bridelia ferruginea; Escherichia coli; Parkia biglobosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus