Effective wound treatment from nature

By Sade Oguntola - updated: Thursday 05-02-2009

Wounds need proper careAdequate healing of wound and the prevention of infections that complicates it serve as catalyst of wound care. Wounds, a discontinuity of the skin or an injury to the body, are problems that have no respect for age. But in most cases, many injuries result in bleeding (which may be life-threatening, depending on the severity) and as such require that it (bleeding) must be arrested.

Consequently, there is an overriding need to stimulate healing and restore the normal functions of the affected part(s) of the body to ease the discomfort and pains associated with wounds. Essentially, emphasis is laid on arresting bleeding from the fresh wound, preventing infection and activating tissue repair processes.

Several medicinal plants are used in folklore for wound treatment. One of such plants is Aspilia africana, a herb about one metre tall covered with bristles and commonly known as “haemorrhage plant” due to its ability to stop bleeding from fresh wounds.

In Nigeria, it is variously known as “Orangila” in Igbo, “Tozalin” in Hausa, “Yunyun” in Yoruba and “Edemedong” in Efik and widespread in Africa. In herbal medicine, the bruised leaves and flowers of A. africana are used to clean the surfaces of sores with subsequent healing.

The use of this plant in wound treatment recently stimulated interest among researchers to evaluate the leaf extracts for its potential application in wound care. The researchers in their experimental evaluation of this plant in wound care, showed that the leaf extracts were able to ensure blood-clotting. It also had antimicrobial and wound healing activities, suggesting that the constituents of the leaves may play a useful role in wound care.

The researchers were Dr. Charles Okoli and Dr. p.A Akah from Department of pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, as well as Dr. A.S Okoli from the Department of pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

The 2007 study entitled “potentials of leaves of Aspilia africana (Compositae) in wound care: an experimental evaluation” was published in the journal, BMC Complement Alternative Medicine.

The results of this study indicated that extracts of leaves of A. africana have good potentials for use in wound care and further provided a rationale for the use of the leaves of this plant in wound management in traditional medicine practice.

Fresh leaves of the plant were collected, cut into smaller pieces, dried under the sun for two days. It was then pulverized to powder using a hand blender. The leaf powder was extracted with chemicals substances (methanol and hexane) by cold maceration for 48 hours and tested on adult Swiss albino mice, rats, and guinea pig. Tests done include determining what effects the extracts had on when bleeding stops, whether they could prevent contamination with germs and also influence the rate of wound healing activity,

They found that A. africana leaf extracts arrested bleeding from fresh wounds by reducing bleeding/clotting and whole blood coagulation time. This is important for initiation of healing of any wound.

Given that the leaf extracts were able to prevent germs that contaminate wounds, they declared that this might partly contribute to the wound healing effects noticed in the test animals.

It also suggested that the leaf extracts might also play a useful role in accelerating the healing of old wounds by eradicating already established infection.

An analysis of the leaf extracts indicated the presence of typical plant constituents such as alkaloids, saponins, sterols, terpenoids, carbohydrates, glycosides and tannins. One of the terpenoids in A. africana leaves, á-pinene, found in the extract, was suggested to contribute to the wound healing activity by suppressing inflammatory reactions invoked by any injury.

In addition, in herbal medicine, A. africana leaves are also used for the treatment of rheumatic pains as well as bee and scorpion stings. The decoction has been used to remove corneal opacities and foreign bodies from the eyes.

Researchers have also found local herbs such as Euphorbia hirta and Eclipta alba effective in treating wounds, bleeding and reducing the growth or killing the disease-inducing bacteria in fresh wounds.

Euphorbia hirta locally known as ogwu ngwo (eczema drug) in some Eastern parts of Nigeria is used locally to arrest bleeding in the event of an injury. Leaves of Euphorbia hirta are used in traditional medicine for the treatments of boils, wounds and control of diarrhoea and dysentery. Commonly called asthma herb, Euphorbia hirta belongs to the plant family Euphorbiaceae.

A study, “platelet Response to Methanolic and Aqueous Extracts Of Euphorbia hirta”, published in the Nigerian Journal of Natural products and Medicine, has validated the claim that Euphorbia hirta arrests bleeding and modulate haemostasis.

The extracts (aqueous and methanolic) were administered orally to albino wistar rats. platelet count, bleeding and clotting times were determined before and at different time intervals after administration of the extracts.

According to The Useful plants of West Tropical Africa by H. M. Burkill, the Euphorbia hirta contains relatively abundant white latex, and in common with other lactiferous species, a decoction of the whole plant, or of the leaves, or the latex itself is used by women to improve flow of breast milk. The plant has been an item of market trade in Northern Nigeria for this purpose. preparations are massaged on to the breasts, or may be taken in draught.