PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY AND ASSESSMENT OF WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF ZIZIPHUS RUGOSA STEM EXTRACT
Pankaj Kumar Dubey, Satkar Prasad
ABSTRACT
The present study was undertaken to investigate the phytochemical constituents and wound healing activity of the hydroalcoholic stem extract of Ziziphus rugosa. Medicinal plants are widely recognized for their therapeutic importance due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents with minimal adverse effects. The hydroalcoholic extract of Ziziphus rugosa stem was prepared and evaluated for extractive value, preliminary phytochemical screening, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, formulation of herbal gel, and in vivo wound healing activity using an excision wound model in rats. The hydroalcoholic extraction yielded 6.50% w/w dark black solid extract, indicating the successful extraction of phytoconstituents. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, carbohydrates, proteins, saponins, and diterpenes. The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were found to be 0.417 mg/100 mg and 0.674 mg/100 mg respectively, suggesting appreciable antioxidant potential of the extract. Herbal gel formulations containing 1% and 2% extract concentrations were prepared using Carbopol 934 as the gelling agent. The wound healing activity demonstrated significant enhancement in wound contraction compared to the control group. The 2% extract gel showed superior wound healing activity with 87.9% wound contraction on day 11, while the standard Betadine-treated group exhibited 93.5% healing. The enhanced wound healing activity may be attributed to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and tissue regenerative properties of the phytoconstituents present in the extract. The findings of the study scientifically support the traditional use of Ziziphus rugosa in wound management and suggest its potential as a promising natural wound healing agent.
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