An ethnopharmacological study on Verbascum species: from conventional wound healing use to scientific verification.
OBJECTIVE
The leaves, flowers, and whole aerial parts of Verbascum L. (Scrophulariaceae) species are used to treat eczema and other types of inflammatory skin conditions and as a desiccant for wounds in Turkish traditional medicine. In the present study, the methanolic extracts of 13 Verbascum species growing in Turkey, including Verbascum chionophyllum Hub.-Mor., Verbascum cilicicum Boiss., Verbascum dudleyanum (Hub.-Mor.) Hub.-Mor., Verbascum lasianthum Boiss., Verbascum latisepalum Hub.-Mor., Verbascum mucronatum Lam., Verbascum olympicum Boiss., Verbascum pterocalycinum var. mutense Hub.-Mor., Verbascum pycnostachyum Boiss. & Heldr., Verbascum salviifolium Boiss., Verbascum splendidum Boiss., Verbascum stachydifolium Boiss. & Heldr and Verbascum uschackense (Murb.) Hub.-Mor. were assessed for their in vivo wound healing activity.


METHODS
In vivo wound healing activity of the plants were evaluated by linear incision and circular excision experimental models subsequently histopathological analysis. The healing potential was comparatively assessed with a reference ointment Madecassol(®), which contains 1% extract of Centella asiatica.


RESULTS
The methanolic extracts of Verbascum olympicum, Verbascum stachydifolium and Verbascum uschackense demonstrated the highest activities on the both wound models. Moreover, the methanolic extracts of Verbascum latisepalum, Verbascum mucronatum, and Verbascum pterocalycinum var. mutense were found generally highly effective. On the other hand, the rest of the species did not show any remarkable wound healing effect. Results of the present study support the continued and expanded utilization of these plant species employed in Turkish folk medicine.


CONCLUSIONS
The experimental study revealed that Verbascum species display remarkable wound healing activity.
Süntar
Ipek
I
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, Etiler 06330 Ankara, Turkey.
Tatlı
I Irem
II
Küpeli Akkol
Esra
E
Keleş
Hikmet
H
Kahraman
Çiğdem
Ç
Akdemir
Zeliha
Z
D000818:Animals; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009824:Ointments; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D014421:Turkey; D032265:Verbascum; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D009824:Ointments; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; C004446:asiaticoside