Author(s): Eugene Ikobi, Cecelia.I.Igwilo, Olufunso Awodele, Chukwuemeka Azubuike
This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial and wound healing properties of methanolic extract of dried fresh leaves of Gossypium barbadense. The antibacterial properties of the extract were studied against five wound isolates (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Shigella sonnei) using the Well diffusion method. The wound healing properties were carried out using the excision wound model on healthy albino rats. The results showed that methanolic extract of dried fresh Gossypium barbadense leaves had a dose dependent activity against all the test organisms except Escherichia coli. The extract solvent, propylene glycol, used as a negative control, had no activity against any of the test organisms. Dettol® antiseptic, and Cicatrin® powder used for the positive control also had a dose dependent activity against all the test organisms except Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The concentrated Dettol® (i.e. the undiluted solution) however inhibited growth of all test organisms. Comparing all test substances, it was observed that after ten days of treatment of the rats that when the extract was applied at a concentration of 20mg/ml, there were about 91% healing of wound on the rats whereas about 80 % healing of wound on the rats was noticed for Cicatrin® powder. The distilled water used as a negative control however produced only about 36 % healing of wound on the rats. The distilled water treated group percentage healing of wounds was significantly different (p< 0.05) from those of extract and antibacterial-treated groups.