title: Studies on antibacterial, antioxidant and fibroblast growth stimulation of wound healing remedies from South Africa.
abstract: Aqueous and methanol extracts of Urtica urens, Capparis tomentosa, Dicoma anomala, Leonotis leonorus, Xysmalobium undulatum, Helichrysum foetidum, Pterocarpus angolensis, Terminalia sericea and Gunnera perpensa, plants documented as being used for topical wound healing in the literature, were tested for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methanol and water extracts of two of these plants, Terminalia sericea and Gunnera perpensa, were more active compared to the other extracts against Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. The effects of the latter plants on fibroblast growth as well as oxidant production by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine were also studied. The water and methanol extracts of Terminalia sericea and Gunnera perpensa significantly decreased luciginin enhanced chemiluminescence at concentrations of 100 microg/ml and higher. However, the extracts had no effect on the growth of primary human fibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, P.O. Box 2034, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. vsteen@med.up.ac.za
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Steenkamp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mathivha
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gouws
authors.forename: C E J
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: van Rensburg
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018514:Plant Structures; D013019:South Africa; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts