Wound healing and protease inhibition activity of Bacoside‐A,isolated from Bacopa monnieri wettest

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettest. (Scrophulariaceae) is a well‐known medicinal herb. In the Indian system of medicine it is known as Brahmi (Sanskrit) and Indian water hyssop. Methanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri and its isolated constituent Bacoside‐A were screened for wound healing activity. Bacoside‐A was screened for wound healing activity by excision, incision and dead space wound on Swiss albino rats. Significant wound healing activity was observed in both extract and the Bacoside‐A treated groups. The SDS‐PAGE caseinolytic zymogram analysis of inhibition of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) enzyme from the excision wound by Bacoside‐A, an isolated constituent, was done with the concentrations 100 and 200 μmg/ml. In Bacoside‐A treated groups, epithelialization of the excision wound was faster with a high rate (18.30 ± 0.01 days) of wound contraction. The tensile strength of the incision wound was increased (538.47 ± 0.14 g) in the Bacoside‐A treated group. In the dead space wound model, the weight of the granuloma was also increased (89.15 ± 0.08 g). The histological examination of the granuloma tissue of the Bacoside‐A treated group showed increased cross‐linking of collagen fibers and absence of monocytes. The wound healing activity of Bacoside‐A was more effective in various wound models compared to the standard skin ointment Nitrofurazone. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.