EVALUATION OF IN VIVO WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF THE EXTRACT AND OLEUROPEIN FROM MORINDA TINCTORIA ROXB. (RUBIACEAE)- A TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT.

The wound healing effects of ethanolic extracts of leaves and fruits of Morinda tinctoria as well as of the minor polyphenolic constituents iridoid, Oleuropein against the incision and excision wounds on Wistar albino rats was examined and elaborated in this study. The dried fruits and leaves of Morinda tinctoria were extracted with ethanol, dried in vacuum, grinded to form a powder and used in experiment (MTFE and MTLE). In vivo experiments were designed in six groups of Wistar albino rats consisting of group I (control), group II (treated with 15 % of MTFE), group III (treated with 30 % MTFE), group IV ( treated with 1.5 % pure iridoid, Oleuropein), group V (treated with 3 % pure iridoid, Oleuropein) and group VI (treated with standard drug, Soframycin) for 0-15 days. The present study is the first report to quantify oleuropein, not only in leaves, but also in fruits. It was observed that the occurrence of oleuropein is much higher in MTFE (0.81%) compared to MTLE (0.12%). Quick and effective incision and excision wound healing was observed in group III treated with 30% MTFE than with respect to any other groups. Analyses were done on tensile strength of skin, granuloma weight, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, hydroxyproline, hexosamine in granulated tissue, enzymes such as LPO, GSH, SOD, CAT, GPX, serum ascorbic acid levels and nucleic acid contents. This result demonstrates that oleuropein alone is not effective and the components present in MTFE together with oleuropein might have exhibited synergistic action in wound healing.