Evaluation of Wound Healing Potential of Chrysophyllum albidum Hexane Seed Extract in Wistar Rat

Phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum have been established. However, scientific evaluation of its wound healing activity is lacking. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating the wound healing potential of Chrysophyllum albidum hexane seed extract using wistar rats. The seed cotyledon was collected, air-dried, blended and extracted with n-hexane by continuous cold extraction. Phytochemicals, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extracts were assayed by standard methods. Three groups of male wistar rats consisting of seven animals each were used for the animal studies. Wound excision was induced on all animals in the sterilized shaved dorsal fur region.Group1 served as the negative control (untreated), groups 2 and 3 were treated with n-hexane extract (test group) and Povidone-iodine ointment (positive control) respectively. Wound contraction rate and epithelialization time were used to assess the efficiency of the treatment. Group 3 rats had best wound contraction rate with epithelialization time of 16 post-wounding day followed by group 2 (20 days) and group 1 (28 days). The wound healing efficiency of the extract was less than that of the standard ointment but it healed the wound inflicted on the rats faster than the untreated ones. The low wound activity of the seed extract may be due to low phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extract. Chrysophyllum albidum hexane seed extract have some wound healing activity and therefore have potential for being used as wound healing ointment.