The Wound Healing Effect of Plantago Major Leaf Extract in a Rat Model: An Experimental Confirmation of a Traditional Belief in Persian Medicine

Abstract

Background and Aim: Plantago major leaf has been traditionally used in Iran and many other countries for wound healing. This study presents a brief report about the depiction of the effects of Plantago major on wound healing in the major texts of Persian medicine. Moreover, the effect of Plantago major’s leaf extract on wound healing duration has been experimentally assessed in male rats. Materials and Methods: In experimental studies, the methanolic extract of Plantago major's leaf was used as an ointment. To make a wound model, a circular ulcer was made on the back of animals. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: animals in the control group were treated once a day only with the ointment's eucerin base, and the rats in Plantago major's group were treated with the ointment containing the plant extract. Ulcerous areas were measured on days 0 and 14. The durations of complete wound healing processes were determined too. Results: The difference between the mean duration of wound healing was statistically significant using independent samples t-test (20.7±0.4 days in control vs 19.1±0.4 in plant extract group, p=0.022). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the mean wound surface area on the fourteenth day (p=0.014) despite the fact that there were no significant differences in day 0 (p=0.69). Conclusion: There is a long history of using Plantago major's leaf for wound healing in Persian medicine text books. It was determined, in the experimental studies conducted on rats, that P. major's leaf extract could accelerate wound healing process. This capability justifies its application not only in Persian medicine but also in some other traditional medicines.

Keywords

• Plantago major L, wound healing, traditional Persian medicine, Iran