title: Potential dermal wound healing agent in Blechnum orientale Linn.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blechnum orientale Linn. (Blechnaceae) is used ethnomedicinally to treat wounds, boils, blisters or abscesses and sores, stomach pain and urinary bladder complaints. The aim of the study was to validate the ethnotherapeutic claim and to evaluate the effects of B. orientale water extract on wound healing activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Water extract of B. orientale was used. Excision wound healing activity was examined on Sprague-Dawley rats, dressed with 1% and 2% of the water extract. Control groups were dressed with the base cream (vehicle group, negative control) and 10% povidone-iodine (positive control) respectively. Healing was assessed based on contraction of wound size, mean epithelisation time, hydroxyproline content and histopathological examinations. Statistical analyses were performed using one way ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound healing study revealed significant reduction in wound size and mean epithelisation time, and higher collagen synthesis in the 2% extract-treated group compared to the vehicle group. These findings were supported by histolopathological examinations of healed wound sections which showed greater tissue regeneration, more fibroblasts and angiogenesis in the 2% extract-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ethnotherapeutic use of this fern is validated. The water extract of B. orientale is a potential candidate for the treatment of dermal wounds. Synergistic effects of both strong antioxidant and antibacterial activities in the extract are deduced to have accelerated the wound repair at the proliferative phase of the healing process.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, No. 1, Jalan Taylor’s, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: How Yee
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Yau Yan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Kah Hwi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D029624:Ferns; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003094:Collagen