Effect of aqueous extract from root and leaf of Sphenocentrum jollyanum pierre on wounds of diabetic rats: Influence on wound tissue cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor and microbes.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sphenocentrum jollyanum is a flowering plant of the Menispermaceae family with bright yellow roots and wedged-shaped leaves. The plant is reputed to possess exceptional wound healing properties and used in folkloric medicine to dress chronic wounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: Wound repair in a hyperglycemic state is known to be impaired and delayed making treatment a difficult challenge. This study sought how the aqueous extracts of root and leaf of Sphenocentrum jollyanum facilitated wound healing by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor and microbial colonization on excision wound created in diabetic rats. METHODS: Diabetes (blood glucose >250 mg/dl) was induced by feeding normal rats with high fat diet for 14 days after which intraperitoneal injection of low dose streptozotocin (35 mg/kg b.w.) was administered. Wounds were subsequently created and treatments administered afterwards for 14 days. RESULTS: Administration of Sphenocentrum jollyanum root and leaf extracts both orally and topically (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), number of microbial colonies (CFU/ml × 102), activity of myeloperoxidase and significantly increased growth factor secretion on wounds of the diabetic rats. Histological evaluations of wound tissues of treated diabetic rats revealed matured tissue granulation, presence of new blood vessels, collagen and fibroblast with fewer inflammatory cells. CONCLUSION: The use of Sphenocentrum jollyanum effectively enhanced wound healing which may be related to constituents identified by GC-MS analysis and can thus, be suggested as a therapeutic agent for diabetic wound management.

Phenolic Bioactives as Antiplatelet Aggregation Factors: The Pivotal Ingredients in Maintaining Cardiovascular Health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the main causes of mortality in the world. The development of these diseases has a specific factor-alteration in blood platelet activation. It has been shown that phenolic compounds have antiplatelet aggregation abilities and a positive impact in the management of CVD, exerting prominent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, cardioprotective, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial effects. Thus, this review is intended to address the antiplatelet activity of phenolic compounds with special emphasis in preventing CVD, along with the mechanisms of action through which they are able to prevent and treat CVD. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown beneficial effects of phenolic compound-rich plant extracts and isolated compounds against CVD, despite that the scientific literature available on the antiplatelet aggregation ability of phenolic compounds in vivo is scarce. Thus, despite the current advances, further studies are needed to confirm the cardioprotective potential of phenolic compounds towards their use alone or in combination with conventional drugs for effective therapeutic interventions.