Excision and incision wound healing activity of apigenin (4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone) containing extracts of Carissa carandas Linn. fruits

Background: Carissa carandas Linn. (family Apocynaceae) is a climbing shrub, with a height of 10 or 15 ft (3–5 m). It is found in Jharkhand and other states of India. It is commonly known as “Karunda” or “Jasmin flower Carissa.” The major requirement for its growth is full exposure to the sun. C. carandas blooms and fruits throughout the year. Objectives: Gel of fruit extracts was formulated to determine its wound healing ability by applying it topically on wounds in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: To study the wound healing activities, excision and incision studies, histopathology, and phytochemical studies were done. Ethanolic fruit extract of C. carandas was applied topically as 20% w/w gel. Excision and incision wound healing models were employed for determining wound contraction and tensile strength percentage. Results: The ethanolic fruit extracts of C. carandas (EFCC) 10% and 20% w/w showed effective activity compared to the simple ointment treated and untreated groups. EFCC 20% w/w had a better effect compared to EFCC 10% w/w. There was an increase in the rate of contraction of wounds on 18^th post-wounding day (3.04 ± 0.55***) and increase in tensile strength (388.31 ± 0.59***). Tissue pathology of revitalized skin of EFCC revealed increased production of collagen, mononuclear cells, and fibroblasts. Apigenin (4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone) was also isolated from the extract. Conclusion: The EFCC ointment (20% w/w) showed a significant increase in wound healing activity, validating its use by the tribal people.