The efficacy of different solvent extracts of the dried leaves of a mixture of Chromolaena Odorata L. and Sida Acuta Burm. F. on wound healing of albino rats

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of different solvent extracts of the dried leaves of a mixture of Chromolaena odorata L. and Sida acuta Burm. F. on wound healing of albino rats. Convenience sampling was used to select the two herbs from Assin Andoe in the Central Region of Ghana. The study involved thirty albino rats and four solvents (70% ethanol, 30% ethanol, 30% methanol and distil water) were used for the extraction as well as penicillin ointment as the control. The researcher observed the wound surface and the feeding behaviour of the albino rats throughout the fifteen-day experiment. The wound areas and the masses of the albino rats were measured on three days intervals. The phytochemical constituents of the dried leaves of the mixture of Chromolaena odorata L. and Sida acuta Burm. F. were determined, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20. Observation of the wound surface showed improvement throughout the experiment, with all extracts and the control contributing to scar tissue formation and wound healing. The albino rats exhibited normal feeding behaviour and consumed all the provided food. The wound areas were significantly closed in groups PO, SC2, SC3 and SC4 by the twelfth day of the experiment whereas group SC1 achieved complete closure by the fifteenth day of the experiment. There was no significant difference in the means of the wound areas among the five groups, indicating the efficacy of the various extracts on wound healing in albino rats as compared to the control (Penicillin ointment). The average mass of the rats fluctuated throughout the experiment, with a significant increase by the fifteenth day. The eating habits of the rats influenced weight gain. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis revealed a negative relationship between the average masses and the average wound areas across the five groups, indicating that as the wound areas decreased, the masses of the rats increased. Overall, the study demonstrated the efficacy of different solvent extracts of the dried leaves of the mixture of Chromolaena odorata L. and Sida acuta Burm. F. in promoting wound healing in albino rats. Further study is recommended for quantitative analysis of the phytochemical constituents of the mixture of C. odorata L. and S. acuta Burm. F. leaves, and again, other parts of the herbs such as the roots or stems should be investigated for their efficacy on wound healing and acute toxicity test should be done on the albino rats to investigate the effect of the mixture of C. odorata L. and S. acuta Burm. F. leaves on vital organs such as the kidney and the liver.