The antimicrobial effect of Curcuma longa and Allium sativum decoction in rats explains its utility in wound care.

Objective: In South Asia, Curcuma longa and Allium sativum are extensively used as household remedies for wound care for veterinary and human infectious diseases. However, little pharmacologic data is present to support this folklore. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to validate the folkloric practice of these herbs.

Methods: In vitro experiments, phytochemistry, polyphenolic content, acute dose dermal toxicity, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant assays were conducted. For in vivo experiments, the decoction was prepared and tested for a wound cure against an experimentally induced excision wound on the dorsal region of rats under ketamine anesthesia. Rats were divided into five groups (5 rats in each). Group 1 was treated with standard Povidone-Iodine, Group 2 was treated with distilled water, group 3 received topical application of the decoction, Group 4 received topical as well as 1 mL oral decoction, and Group 5 received topical as well as oral 1 mL water. Histopathology, leukocyte count and acute oral dose toxicity were estimated.

Result: After the ninth post-wounding day, the wound contractions recorded in each group were group-1 (83.11%), group-2 (19.21%), group-3 (91.01%), group-4 (100%), and group-5 (16.55%) similarly less cytoarchitectural damage and more promising cellular repair were observed in both decoctions treated groups as compared to standard and control. A less exaggerated WBC profile was recorded in decoction-treated groups compared to standard and control, while decoction showed significant antibacterial potential even against the resistance strains of standard antibiotics. Decoction showed no dermal and oral toxicity in the animals tested.

Conclusion: Decoction of A. sativum and C. longa possesses excellent wound healing potential because of the variety of phytoconstituents linked to the antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunomodulator spectrum and can be used as an effective household remedy for wound healing with no notable toxicity.