Wound healing in guinea pigs after topical application of starfish Pentaceraster regulus extract.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the healing efficacy of Pentaceraster regulus (starfish) aqueous-methanol extract on cutaneous wounds in guinea pigs.

METHOD: Freshly collected starfish were washed with distilled water and soaked in methanol for transportation. After filtering, soaking and concentration, the extract was fractionated into chloroform soluble (5g), 50% aqueous-methanol soluble (20g) and insoluble fractions (25g). Primary screening demonstrated moderate wound-healing activity in male Swiss-strain guinea pigs, so further fractionation into chloroform, 50% aqueous-methanol and insoluble fractions was undertaken.Wound-healing activity was concentrated only in the aqueous-methanol fraction, so this was used for the study. Animals received either 1% aqueous-methanol extract, the vehicle alone or 5% providone-iodine. The following were measured: wound area,wound tensile strength, DNA, total protein and hydroxyproline levels in excised granulation tissue. Histological changes were observed under microscope.

RESULTS: Extract-treated wounds healed faster, indicated by a significant contraction in wound area (42%). Cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site increased, demonstrated by increase in DNA (33%), protein (29%) and hydroxyproline (37%) content when compared with the controls and povidone-iodine-treated animals (standard care). These findings were confirmed by histological examination. Proper folding of collagen was demonstrated by a significant increase in tensile strength (34%).

CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the aqueous-methanol extract of starfish P. regulus promotes wound-healing activity.