Wound healing properties of methanolic fraction of cantella asiatica extract

Abstract

Asiaticoside from Centella asiatica is claimed as a bioactive compound capable of wound healing. In order to ensure that the pharmacological activity of the extract is traceable and measurable, this present study attempted to evaluate the bioactivity of fractionated extract of rich asiaticoside. The ability of the extract in accelerating wound healing by facilitating the healing process had been evaluated via antioxidant activity test, antibacterial activity test, in vitro scratch assay study of cell migration, and in vivo wound excision study. The result of extraction showed that only methanol fraction of extract contains about 2.4% of asiaticoside. The methanol fraction exhibited antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 370.51 µg/mL as DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenger while IC50 value of 399.07 µg/mL in ABTS (2,2`-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) radical scavenging capacities. The methanol fraction was found to be less active against the test organisms which were Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 700603), Bacillus subtilis (IMR B 145/11C), Streptococcus pyogenes (ATCC 19615), and Salmonella typhimurium (IMR S 974/05B). In the in vitro scratch assay, methanol fraction of extract with concentration of 0.2 and 100 µg/mL showed significant effect of cell migration on human dermal fibroblast and human dermal keratinocyte as compared to positive control (p < 0.05). From in vivo study, it was shown that the methanol fraction (40%, 10% and 2.5%) induced collagen synthesis. Histopathology data also concluded that there was dose dependant effect of the tested extract as wound healer. Taken together, recent findings suggest that methanolic fraction of C. asiatica extract demonstrated remarkable polyvalent activity, thus has potential as an effective wound healer. In conclusion, the claim on the presence of wound healing properties in C. asiatica had been well supported based on the results obtained in this study.