In vitro evaluation and wound healing cream formulation of Acalypha indica Linn ethanolic extract

Abstract

Plant-based drugs were used by ancient civilizations for treating various diseases. It is shown scientifically in recent studies that some remedies are effective. Acalypha indica Linn, is an annual shrub known in Malaysia as „Kucing Galak?. It is traditionally used by practitioner for wound-healing. In this study, Acalypha indica Linn aerial parts and roots were extracted using 30% ethanol. The extracts were standardized based on protein and polysaccharide content prior to further biochemical and cell tests. Aerial parts extract exhibited higher antioxidant ability compared to roots extract with IC50 of 62 µg/mL and 206 µg/mL, respectively. In cell studies, In vitro cytotoxicity was carried out on human skin fibroblast cells (HSF 1189). Both aerial parts and roots extracts showed low cytotoxicities towards (HSF 1189) with 753 µg/mL LD50 for aerial parts extract and undetected on root extract. Further investigation on wound healing showed higher wound closure percentage for both extracts compared to untreated control with 75% at1 µg/mL for aerial parts, 70% at 0.1 µg/mL for root extract and only 59% closure percentage for untreated control after 48h of the study. Finally, the extracts were formulated into oil-in-water (O/W) cream and then the physicochemical properties such as stability, viscosity and pH were determined.