WOUND HEALING POTENTIAL OF ZIZIPHUS XYLOPYRUS WILLD. (RHAMNACEAE) STEM BARK ETHANOL EXTRACT USING IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MODEL

Ziziphus xylopyrus Willd. is reported for widely use in diarrhoea, chest pain and as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and healing of wounds in folk medicine. The angiogenic activity of ethanolic extract of Z. xylopyrus Willd. stem bark was studied using chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model ( in-vitro ) in 9 days old fertilized chick eggs. The extract found to promote angiogenesis as evidenced in CAM model, presenting increasing number of capillaries on the treated CAM surfaces, which might be beneficial in the treatment of wound healing. The wound healing activity of the test extract was also investigated using excision and incision wound model ( in-vivo ) in Swiss Albino rats. In excision wound model, the percent contraction of wound was found significantly higher in the ointment containing ethanolic extract of Z. xylopyrus Willd. stem bark (10 %) treated group compared to the control group. Linear incision by using tensiometer and circular excision wound models were evaluated on rats. In incision wound model, tensile strength of the healing tissue after treatment with the ointment containing Z. xylopyrus Willd. stem bark ethanolic extract (10 %) was found significantly higher than the control group ( p < 0.05), indicating the better wound healing activity. The results of histological examination supported the outcome of linear incision and excision wound model as well. The experimental data demonstrated that Z. xylopyrus Willd. stem bark extract displayed remarkable wound healing activity. KEY WORDS : Ziziphus xylopyrus Willd. ; chorioallantoic membrane model; angiogenesis; wound healing.