Wound healing activity of methanolic extract of Turbinella pyrum from Gulf of Mannar, India

Abstract

Molluscs are a promising source of bioactive substances and are virtually untapped resources of novel compounds. Many novel metabolites with potent pharmacological properties have been discovered in marine organisms in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the wound healing activity of a methanolic extract of the marine gastropod Turbinella pyrum using an excision and incision wound model. To determine the minimum lethal dose, acute oral toxicity studies were performed as per the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. Excision and incision wound models were used to evaluate the wound healing activity of the methanolic extract of T. pyrum by preparing a simple ointment base BP at different concentrations using five groups of Wistar albino rats. Group I (control) received a topical application of the simple ointment BP. Group II (Standard) was treated with topical application of 5% framycetin sulphate cream, and Groups III, IV and V were treated with 5%, 10% and 15% methanolic extracts of T. pyrum. Student's t test was used to analyse the results obtained from the present study, and P<0.05 was considered significant. In the incision wound model, the epithelialization period was also found to be highly significant (P<0.05) in group V (10.77%) when compared to the standard (12.69%). In the excision wound model, the epithelialization period was also found to be highly significant (P<0.05) in group IV (13.17%) and group V (11.38%) when compared to that of the standard (Group II) (14.56%).This finding justifies that the methanolic extract of T. pyrum has properties that render it capable of promoting accelerated wound-healing activity.