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. 2008 Mar;5(1):95-101.
doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem004.

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Wound Healing Effects of Alcoholic and Aqueous Extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn in Rats

Somashekar Shetty  1 , Saraswati Udupa, Laxminarayana Udupa
Affiliations

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Wound Healing Effects of Alcoholic and Aqueous Extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn in Rats

Somashekar Shetty et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Mar.

Abstract

In recent years, oxidative stress and free radicals have been implicated in impaired wound healing. Ocimum sanctum (O. sanctum), a plant widely used in Ayurveda, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study was undertaken to assess the potential of alcoholic and aqueous extracts in wound healing in Wistar albino rats. The rats were divided into five groups of six animals each. Group 1 is normal wounded control and the other four groups were treated with two different doses each of alcoholic and aqueous extract of O. sanctum. The wound healing parameters were evaluated by using incision, excision and dead space wounds in extract-treated rats and controls. Both the doses of alcoholic and aqueous extract significantly increased wound breaking strength, hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid, hexosamines, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione and significantly decreased percentage of wound contraction and lipid peroxidation when compared with the control group. The results suggest that O. sanctum has antioxidant properties, which may be responsible and favorable for faster wound healing and this plant extract may be useful in the management of abnormal healing and hypertropic scars.

Keywords: Ocimum sanctum; antioxidant property; wound healing activity.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of O. sanctum on physical (WBS) and biochemical parameters.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of O. sanctum on excision wound model.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Effect of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of O. sanctum on antioxidant parameters. (A) SOD activity in granulation tissue; (B) catalase activity in granulation tissue; (C) reduced GSH level in granulation tissue; (D)lipid peroxidation-MDA level in granulation tissue.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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