Wound healing effect of Azadirachta indica and Curcuma longa in guinea pigs

Azadirachta indica and Curcuma longa is the most useful traditional plant being used in India for medicinal purposes from centuries. There is evidence that these plants have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant and anticancer activities. Work has been done on the wound-healing and anti-inflammatory activities of these plants and investigation is needed to understand the mechanism of these effects for their better therapeutic utilization. This experiment was done on forty healthy ginea pigs dividing it in four groups, group A were treated with aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica plant leaves, group B by the fine powder of Curcuma longa root, group C Framycetin sulphate ointment and group D only with distilled water. Two wound of 6 cm length were made through the full thickness of the skin on the either side of the vertebral column under local anesthesia was created and treated by above mentioned drugs. Histomarphological study and time taken in wound healing was noted for different group animals. Statistical analysis of the data was done by applying unpaired t-test. Cellular infiltration, neovascularization, fibroblast proliferation, epithelialization and collageniaztion all were faster in wound healing by primary intention with aqueous extract of both Azadirachta indica leaves and fine powder of Curcuma longa rhizomes treated groups when it was compared with control. The process of healing was found faster with aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica leaves when it was compared with fine powder of Curcuma longa rhizomes.