Evaluation of the Healing Potential of Schrebera swietenioides in the Dexamethasone-Suppressed Wound Healing in Rodents

The wound healing potential of the aqueous, alcoholic extracts, and the butanolic fraction of the alcoholic extract obtained from the bark of Schrebera swietenioides were evaluated in the dexamethasone suppressed wound healing model. The work was conducted on rodents using incision, excision, and dead space wound models. The extracts of S swietenioides enhanced the breaking strength of incision wounds significantly (P <.05). Faster epithelization and contraction of excision wounds were observed in the treated groups (P <.05). Dead space wound model demonstrated an increase in breaking strength of granulation tissue and weight of dried granulation tissue after treatment with the extracts. The extracts attenuated the effect of dexamethasone on healing. The total RNA isolated from the granulation tissues of the extract-treated animals was significantly higher than in both dexamethasone and normal groups, (P < 0.05). It was observed that the DNA was intact in all the groups. These findings suggest that dexamethasone suppresses wound healing, possibly through an inappropriate transcription rather than causing DNA damage. The S swietenioides extracts have the capacity to reverse this effect.