PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF WOUND HEALING POTENTIAL OF ETHANOLIC SEEDS EXTRACT OF LAGENARIA SICERARIA (MOLINA) IN WISTAR RATS

Background: The present study was carried out to evaluate the wound healing potential of seed extracts of Lagenaria siceraria in two different types of wound models in albino rat viz., incision and excision. The plant has been used traditionally for its cardio protective, cardio tonic, general tonic, aphrodisiac and acts as alternate purgative, diuretic. It all so cures pain, ulcers, fever, and used for pectoral cough, asthma and other bronchial disorders. The plant has been studied for their various pharmacological activities like antioxidant, cardioprotective, diuretic, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activity. Methodology and Results: In the present investigation we have screened the ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and pet. ether extracts of the seeds of the plant. The plant contains various phytochemical constituents like saponin, triterpenoid, flavones, vitamin B and source of ascorbic acid in fruits. The result data compare with the standard drug povidine iodine ointment. The ethanolic extract at a dose of (250 mg/kg) possesses a significant increase in wound contraction and formation of scar in an excision wound model. Conclusion: The result of the present study indicates that ethanolic seeds extract of L. siceraria posses significant wound healing in excision and incision wound model and all so the presence of phytoconstituents like flavonoids, saponins, phenols either individually or combined may exhibit the synergistic effect towards the healing of wounds.