Hydroalcoholic extract from Lepidium meyenii (Black Maca) root exerts wound healing activity in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background

Lepidium meyenii, a Peruvian plant commonly known as Maca has been valued for high nutritional value since ancient times.

Objective

The present study was intended to evaluate the wound-healing potential of the hydroalcoholic extract of L. meyenii (black maca) root (BME) in diabetic rats.

Methods

Diabetes was induced to the experimental animals by the administration of streptozotocin (STZ) (50 mg/kg, i.p.) prepared in citrate buffer (4.5 pH). The healing property of BME was evaluated by the excision wound model. The diabetic animals were divided into four groups: Group I, diabetic control treated with simple ointment; Group II, received topical Povidone iodine ointment (0.1% w/w); Groups III and IV, were treated with ointments prepared from BME of 5% and 10% w/w respectively daily, and Group V treated with BME 200 mg/kg b.w. orally daily for 21 days. Wound-healing parameters such as the rate of wound contraction, wound index, dry and wet granulation weights, bacterial load assessment, and concentration of hydroxyproline and hexosamine contents were measured and compared with diabetic control. The statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s test using GraphPad Prism (Version5.0).

Results

Rats treated with BME both topically and orally had shown a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the percentage of wound closure, wound index, dry and wet granulation weights, decrease in bacterial counts, increase in hydroxyproline and hexosamine contents of the granulation tissue when compared with the diabetic control, in a dose-dependent pattern.

Conclusion

The present study is the first report on wound healing properties of BME in diabetic rats.