Evaluation of the Wound Healing Potential of Achillea biebersteinii Afan. (Asteraceae) by In Vivo Excision and Incision Models.

Achillea species are widely used for diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomachache and healing of wounds in folk medicine. To evaluate the wound healing activity of the plant, extracts were prepared with different solvents; hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively from the roots of Achillea biebersteinii. Linear incision by using tensiometer and circular excision wound models were employed on mice and rats. The wound healing effect was comparatively evaluated with the standard skin ointment Madecassol. The n-hexane extract treated groups of animals showed 84.2% contraction, which was close to contraction value of the reference drug Madecassol (100%). On the other hand the same extract on incision wound model demonstrated a significant increase (40.1%) in wound tensile strength as compared to other groups. The results of histoptological examination supported the outcome of linear incision and circular excision wound models as well. The experimental data demonstrated that A. biebersteinii displayed remarkable wound healing activity.

Wound Healing Activity of Rubus sanctus Schreber (Rosaceae): Preclinical Study in Animal Models.

Young shoots of Rubus species have been used for healing of wounds, infected insect bites and pimples in folk medicine for ages. In order to evaluate the wound healing activity of Rubus sanctus, four different extracts were prepared from the whole aerial parts of the plant by using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. Incision wound healing model by using tensiometer on rats and excision model on mice were employed to assess the activity. Remarkable wound healing activity was observed with the ointment formulation of the methanol extract at 1% concentration on the mentioned models. The results of histopathological examination also supported the outcome of both incision and excision wound models. The wound healing effect was comparatively evaluated with a reference ointment Madecassol. The experimental data confirmed the ethnobotanical usage of R. sanctus.

Assessment of Wound Healing Activity of the Aqueous Extracts of Colutea cilicica Boiss. & Bal. Fruits and Leaves.

The fruiting branches of Colutea cilicica Boiss. & Bal., along with leaves and fruits, have been used to heal inflammatory wounds at traditional medicine in various parts of Turkey. In order to evaluate the wound healing activity of the plant, aqueous extracts were prepared from the flowering parts and fruits of Colutea cilicica Boiss. & Bal. by using 40°C distilled water. Incision wound healing models by using tensiometer on rats and excision wound healing models on mice were employed to assess the activity. Significant wound healing activity was observed when ointment formulation of the aqueous extract at 1% concentration was applied on the mentioned models. The fruit extract treated the groups of animals, showing a 78.1% contraction in wounds, which was close to the contraction value of the reference drug Madecassol (100%). On the other hand, the same extract used on the incision wound model demonstrated a significant increase (42%) in wound tensile strength, compared to the flowering aerial parts. Histopathological examination also supported the results shown in both the incision and excision wound models. The wound healing effect was evaluated and compared with the reference ointment Madecassol. Moreover, zinc and vitamin C levels in the fruit (9480 ± 0 mcg g(-1); 389 mg g(-1)) and flowering aerial part (6609 ± 1 mcg g(-1); 404 mg g(-1)) extracts, which might have contributed to the wound healing process, were determined. The experimental data confirmed the traditional usage of C. cilicica Boiss. & Bal.

Decreasing unpalatable flavonoid components in Citrus: the effect of transformation construct.

Citrus species accumulate large quantities of flavanone glycosides in their leaves and fruit. The physiological role(s) of these compounds in citrus plants are unknown, but they have been documented to benefit human health upon consumption. Flavanone rutinosides are tasteless, whereas flavanone neohesperidosides, such as naringin, give a bitter taste to fruit and fruit juice products, reducing their palatability. In an effort to alter the types and levels of flavanone neohesperidosides in citrus, an Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation approach was employed. Citrus paradisi Macf. (grapefruit) epicotyl stem segments were transformed with sense (S) and antisense (AS) constructs of the target genes chalcone synthase (CHS) and chalcone isomerase (CHI), whose products catalyze the first two steps in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. Transformation with each of the individual constructs led to a different and unpredictable combination of viability, phenotypic change, transgene steady-state expression and alteration in flavonoid content in the resulting transgenic plants. These qualities were consistent within the transgenic plants obtained using any particular construct. Transgenic plants with decreased leaf naringin levels were obtained, particularly when the CHS-AS constructs were employed.

Evaluation of in vivo and in vitro biological activities of different extracts of Cuscuta arvensis.

In the present study, the potential effects of extracts from the whole plant of Cuscuta arvensis were studied in mice using the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity and the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex for the assessment of antinociceptive activity. In order to obtain the extracts, the whole plant of C. arvensis was extracted with different solvents such as n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The methanolic and water extracts inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema and p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex, whereas the other extracts showed only mild inhibitory antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities in these in vivo models. Additionally, the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts had higher scavenging ability then the non polar extracts.

Selenium concentrations of selected medicinal and aromatic plants in Turkey.

Recent scientific studies have proven the importance of trace elements on human health. The main food supplies are plants and animals, which are significant sources of these minerals. Studies on determining mineral compositions of herbs, spices and some other crops have increased all over the world. Published works revealed that spices, herbs and medicinal plants should be consumed to obtain beneficial trace elements. Selenium (Se), one of the most vital trace elements, has a significant role in human diet acting as a preventative agent against some serious illnesses. Despite numerous scientific works on mineral compositions of medicinal and aromatic plants, investigations of selenium content in these foods could not be successfully studied until recently due to the lack of suitable analytical methods for selenium analysis. Thus, publications on selenium concentrations of foods are recent. In this regard, selenium contents of some medicinal and aromatic plants commonly used as spices, herbal teas and traditional medicines in Turkey were studied in the present research. Selenium contents of the most used parts of these plants were analyzed by ICP-OES (Varian Vista-Pro, Australia). Of the analyzed 26 medicinal and aromatic plants, the highest Se concentration (1133 microg kg-1) was found in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and the lowest in sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) fruits (11 microg kg(-1)).

Wound repair potential of Olea europaea L. leaf extracts revealed by in vivo experimental models and comparative evaluation of the extracts' antioxidant activity.

Leaves and fruits of Olea europaea L. (olive) have been used externally as an emollient for skin ulcers and for healing of inflammatory wounds. n-Hexane and aqueous extracts, prepared from the dried leaves of olive, were evaluated for their wound healing activity by using in vivo wound models of linear incision and circular excision in comparison with the reference ointment Madecassol® (Bayer, Istanbul, Turkey). The group of animals treated with the aqueous extract demonstrated increased contraction (87.1%) on excision and a significant increase in wound tensile strength (34.8%) on incision models compared to the other groups. Moreover, the antioxidant activity assay showed that aqueous extract has higher scavenging ability than the n-hexane extract. According to the experimental data, the aqueous extract of O. europaea leaves displayed wound healing activity. Secoiridoid oleuropein (4.6059%) was identified as the major active compound according to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the aqueous extract.

Wound healing potential of Sambucus ebulus L. leaves and isolation of an active component, quercetin 3-O-glucoside.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The leaves of Sambucus ebulus L. are used in Turkish folk medicine for treatment of high fever, rheumatic pains, snake bites and wounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: Four different solvent extracts by using n-hexane, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol were prepared from the leaves of Sambucus ebulus in order to investigate the claimed wound healing activity in vivo and isolation of active component(s) from the active extract through the bioassay-guided fractionation procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Linear incision and circular excision wound models on rats and mice were employed. The methanol extract was fractionated by successive chromatographic techniques. Wound healing activity of each fraction was investigated following the bioassay-guided fractionation procedures. Moreover, the tissue samples were examined histopathologically. RESULTS: Significant wound healing activity was observed for the ointment prepared with methanol extract at 1% concentration. The methanol extract treated groups of animals showed 84.3% contraction in circular excision model, which was close to contraction value of the reference drug Madecassol (100%). On the other hand, a significant increase (43.7%) in the wound tensile strength was determined with the same extract on incision wound model. Subfractions showed significant but reduced wound healing activity on both in vivo wound models. A flavonoid derivative "quercetin 3-O-glucoside" was isolated and determined as one of the active component of active final subfraction. The results of histopathological examination supported the outcome of linear incision and circular excision wound models. CONCLUSION: The experimental data revealed that the methanolic extract of Sambucus ebulus leaves displayed remarkable wound healing activity.

In vivo anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities of Centaurea iberica Trev. ex Spreng.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Several Centaurea species (Asteraceae) are used in Turkish folk medicine to alleviate pain and inflammatory symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis, high fever, head ache and for wound healing. Particularly, the aerial part of Centaurea iberica Trev. ex Spreng. has been practiced on wounds for healing. In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities of the plant, extracts were prepared with variety of solvents: hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous methanol (85%) from the aerial parts of Centaurea iberica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The incision by using tensiometer and excision models were used in order to assess the effect of the plant extracts on wound healing in mice and rats. Results were also evaluated histopathologically. In vivo inhibitory effect of the extracts on acetic acid-induced increase in capillary permeability was studied for the assessment of anti-inflammatory activity. RESULTS: The wound healing effect was comparatively evaluated with a reference ointment Madecassol. Noteworthy wound healing activity was observed for the ointment formulation prepared with 1% methanol extract. The results of histopathological evaluation supported the outcome of both incision and excision wound models. Moreover, the methanol extract exerted remarkable wound healing activity and also demonstrated a significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity. CONCLUSION: The experimental study revealed that Centaurea iberica displays remarkable wound healing and anti-inflammatory activity.

Exploring the wound healing activity of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. by in vivo models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The roots of Arnebia densiflora (Nordm.) Ledeb. (Boraginaceae), which is an endemic plant for Turkey, have been used for healing of wounds in folk medicine. The extract of the roots in olive oil and mostly the root barks was applied onto open wounds for rapid healing. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the wound healing activity of the roots, extracts were prepared with different solvents; hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively from the roots of Arnebia densiflora. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Incision by using tensiometer and excision models were employed on mice and rats. RESULTS: Significant wound healing activity was observed with the ointment formulation prepared by using hexane extract at 1% concentration on the mentioned models. The results of histopathological examination supported the outcome of both incision and excision wound models. The wound healing effect was comparatively evaluated with a reference ointment Madecassol. CONCLUSION: The experimental data demonstrated that Arnebia densiflora displayed remarkable wound healing activity.