A Pharmacological Study on the Effect of Calendula officinalis Leaf Extract on Excision Wound Healing in Swiss Albino Mice

Abstract

Calendula officinalis is one of those plants which have medicinal importance due to its leaf and flowers have pharmacological activity, the important pharmacological parameters have been less investigated properly and can be scientifically proved by reverse pharmacology. It was found of interest to evaluate these properties of the extract of the leaf of C. officinalis. The present study is to screen wound healing activity of gels prepared from methanolic extracts of C. officinalis Linn. using excision wound models in albino mice. Formulations of the extracts were prepared in the gels of Carbopol individually and also in combination in equal ratio. In excision wound models, the so treated animals showed significant reduction in a period of epithelization and wound healing activity. The enhanced wound healing activity of hydroalcoholic extracts may be due to free radical scavenging action and the phytoconstituents present in it which either due to their individual or additive effect fastens the process of wound healing. It was found that Calendula extract enhanced the wound healing activity as seen by increased synthesis of connective tissue, especially collagen. There was a significant increase in the granuloma tissue. The wound contraction and increased tensile strength were found to be statistically significant.