Ethanolic leaf extract of Solanum mauritianum promotes fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization in wound excision model in rats

Solanum mauriatianum is a woody plant that grows naturally in the tropical and temperate regions. In most rural communities in Ghana and other parts of West Africa, it is widely used for treatment of ailments such as hemorrhoid, yaws, ulcers, and wounds. Despite the long-term usage of the plant in traditional medicine, there is no scientific report on its efficacy. Objective: This study investigates the wound healing properties of ethanolic extract of the plant. Method: The ethanolic leaf extract was formulated into aqueous cream (SME) at the concentrations of 2.5 %, 5.0 % and 7.5 % and the healing effect was tested using wound excision model in rats. The extract was qualitatively screened for the presence of phytochemicals. Results: We observed that the extract contains alkaloids, glycosides, saponins and flavonoids. The extract cream demonstrated significant wound healing by topical application. By day 18, a total wound closure (100 ± 0.00 %) was observed for 7.5 % Solanum mauriatianum leaf extract while the total wound closure for 1 % sulphadiazine at the same period was 92.00 ± 5.83 %. Microscopic examination of the tissues indicated a significant fibroblast proliferation, fibrosis, neovascularization, re-epithelization and scanty inflammatory cells in the wound tissues treated with the extracts compared with the untreated wound tissues. Conclusion: We conclude that ethanolic leaf extract of Solanum mauriatianum has greater potential for the treatment of open wounds.