PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE WOUND-HEALING EFFICACY OF A POLYHERBAL EXTRACT DERIVED FROM CHAMAEDOREA SEIFRIZII AND GIGANTOCHLOA ATROVIOLACEA IN EXPERIMENTAL RATS

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the wound-healing efficacy of a polyherbal extract derived from Chamaedorea seifrizii and Gigantochloa atroviolacea using an experimental wound model in rats. Methanolic extracts of both plants were prepared and evaluated for percentage yield and preliminary phytochemical composition. The extract yields were 10.34% for C. seifrizii and 12.98% for G. atroviolacea. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of several bioactive constituents, including phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and glycosides. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in G. atroviolacea (51.85 mg/g GAE and 64.15 mg/g RE) than in C. seifrizii (26.35 mg/g GAE and 28.65 mg/g RE). Three herbal gel formulations were prepared and evaluated for physicochemical properties, skin irritation, antibacterial activity, and wound-healing activity. All formulations showed acceptable pH, viscosity, spreadability, homogeneity, and skin compatibility. Against Staphylococcus aureus, Formulation III containing both extracts in a 1: 1 ratio exhibited the highest zone of inhibition (13.8 mm), compared with Formulation I (7.4 mm) and Formulation II (10.6 mm). In the excision wound model, Formulation III produced 86.90% wound closure on day 21, while the reference standard Gentamicin gel showed 92.45%. The enhanced activity of the polyherbal formulation may be associated with the combined effects of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides. The findings suggest that the developed polyherbal gel possesses promising antimicrobial and wound-healing potential and may be further investigated as a topical herbal formulation.