Evaluation of Wound Healing Activity of 80% Methanol Crude Extract and Solvent Fractions of Prunus Africana (Rosaceae) Stem Bark in Mice

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background</bold>: <italic>Prunus africana </italic>stem bark<italic> </italic>is used for the management of wounds in different Ethiopian communities. However, there was no <italic>in vivo </italic>study that justified its claimed use for wound healing effect. <bold>Objectives: </bold>The study aimed to evaluate the wound healing activity of 80% methanol crude extract and solvent fractions of<italic> Prunus africana (Rosaceae)</italic> stem bark in mice <bold>Methods:</bold> The stem bark of <italic>Prunus africana</italic> was extracted with 80% methanol using maceration technique and fractionated by n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and distilled water. The crude extract and solvent fraction yields of <italic>Prunus africana</italic> were formulated as 5% and 10% weight-by-weight ointments. The acute dermal toxicity of the plant was evaluated in mice. The wound-healing effect of the extract was evaluated using excision, burn, and incision wound models. Whereas the solvent fraction ointments were investigated in excision wound models. <bold>Results</bold>: The 10% w/w methanol extract exhibited a significant (P &lt; 0.001) wound contraction activity starting from the 6^th to 14^th days of treatment as compared to the 5% w/w crude extract ointment treated group on excision wound. Aqueous and ethyl acetate fraction ointments resulted a significant (P &lt; 0.001) wound healing activity as compared to n-hexane fraction and simple ointment base from the 4^thto 18^thpost-wounding days. <bold>Conclusion: </bold>In this study, 80% methanol crude extract of <italic>Prunus africana </italic>and its aqueous and ethyl acetate fraction ointments showed good wound healing activity.