Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Prosopis cineraria based phenolic rich ointment in wound healing

Oxidative stress and inflammation are the critical factors attributed with delay in wound repairing process. Traditionally Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce (PC) is used for swift healing of cutaneous wounds. Since there is lack of scientific claim of this medicinal plant on wounds, the main focus of present study was to explore the wound healing effect of PC in rats by using excision and incision wound model as well as biochemical estimation along with inflammatory markers. Considering these facts, ethyl acetate, chloroform and butanol fractions of PC hydroethanolic extract (EFPC, CFPC, BFPC, respectively) investigated for determination of antioxidant activity by in vitro method and then strongest activity possessing fraction was further quantitatively analyzed by HPLC-DAD analysis. in vitro anti-inflammatory and enzyme (collagenase and elastase) inhibitory effect of BFPC were investigated to confirm underlying mechanism of action for wound healing process. BFPC was observed as most active fraction against free radicals among all and presence of protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid was confirmed by HPLC-DAD analysis. Results showed that BFPC has significant anti-inflammatory as well as anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activities. Application of BFPC ointment for 16 consecutive days on the dorsal wound area of rats confirmed the faster wound repairing process, higher hydroxyproline content, reduction in epithelialization period and inflammatory markers in blood as compared to control group. Histological analysis also endorsed the results by promoting collagen formation, re-epithelialization, angiogenesis and mainly the restoration of cutaneous appendages, i.e., hair follicles. Results of current study implicate that BFPC has potential to act as effective cutaneous wound healing agent.