Influence of Ethanol Extract of Vinca rosea on Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats

Vinca rosea (Catharanthus roseus L.) is native to the Caribbean Basin and has historically been used to treat a wide assortment of diseases. European herbalists used the plant for conditions as varied as headache to a folk remedy for diabetes. The objective of the study is to evaluate the diabetic wound healing activity of Vinca rosea using the excision wound model in a streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The animals were weight matched and placed into five groups (n=6 per group). Animals in groups 1 and 2 were normal control (Vaseline) and normal experimental (extract treated) respectively; those in groups 3 and 4 were the diabetic control and diabetic experimental batches. Diabetic animals in a reference group 5 were treated with topical mupirocin ointment. All animals were experimentally wounded on the posterior surface. The ethanol extract of Vinca rosea (100 mg kg-1 body weight) was applied to animals of group 2 and 4 for ten days. Wounds were measured on days 1, 5 and 11. The granulation tissue formed on the wound was excised on the 11^th day and used for the histology and biochemical work up. The wound size in animals of the Vinca rosea treated group were significantly reduced (P<0.001) when compared with the diabetic control and mupirocin treated animals. Significant increases in the weight of the granulation tissue (P<0.001) and the hydroxyproline content (P<0.001) were also observed in extract treated animals. Our present study showed that the ethanol extract of Vinca rosea promotes significant wound healing and closure in diabetic rats compared with mupirocin and further evaluation of this activity in humans is suggested.