Wound healing activity of Persea americana (avocado) fruit: a preclinical study on rats.
OBJECTIVE
Avocado (Persea americana) oil is rich in nutrient waxes, proteins and minerals, as well as vitamins A, D and E. It is an excellent source of enrichment for dry, damaged or chapped skin. This study aimed to evaluate the wound-healing activity of fruit extract of Persea americana in rats.


METHODS
The effect of topical and oral administration of Persea americana fruit extract (300 mg/kg/day) on excision and dead space wound models was evaluated. The rats used in the excision wound model were divided into four groups of five each and received either topical or oral treatment. The rats used in the dead space wound model were divided into two groups of five each and were treated orally. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialisation, granulation tissue weight and hydoxyproline content.


RESULTS
In the excision wound model, complete healing (full epithelialisation) was observed on average on day 14 in the rats who receive oral or topical treatment. In contrast, the controls took approximately 17 days to heal completely. The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialise faster than the controls (p < 0.001). Wet and dry granulation tissue weight and the hydroxyproline content of the tissue obtained from extract-treated animals used in the dead space wound model were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared with the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Rate of wound contraction, epithelialisation time together with the hydroxyproline content and histological observations support the use of Persea americana in the management of wound healing.
Nayak
B S
BS
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad.
Raju
S S
SS
Chalapathi Rao
A V
AV
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005638:Fruit; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009824:Ointments; D027421:Persea; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D009824:Ointments; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006909:Hydroxyproline