ABSTRACT

Abrus pulchellus Wall. is an underutilized, medicinal plant species with plenty of medicinal properties. The aim of present study was to investigate the antimicrobial and wound healing properties of Abrus pulchellus Wall. leaves. Leaves of A. pulchellus Wall. were extracted by Soxhlet extraction method with ethyl acetate and 70% ethanol. For this study five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, and Vibrio vulnificus) and four fungal strains (Candida albicans, C. sparapsilosis, C. tropicalis, and Aspergillus niger) were tested using the agar disc diffusion method. Ointment of 70% ethanol extract was applied to assess the activity of wound healing in Wistar rats using an excision wound model. Animals were divided into 4 groups with 5 animals in each group. Betadine ointment (5% w/w) was used as a reference drug. The duration of epithelialization and wound contraction were measured to observe the healing process. The 70% ethanol extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against three microorganisms viz. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio vulnificus as compared to ethyl acetate extract. Compared to the control group, 70% ethanol extract (10% concentration) showed significant wound healing property (p< 0.001) in wound induced animal models whereas in 5% concentration it showed moderate wound healing property. The results of this investigation indicated that while A. pulchellus ethyl acetate extract lacked antibacterial action, 70% ethanol extract was found to have some antimicrobial activity and the same extract have significant wound healing activity. To identify the active phytoconstituents attributed to the antibacterial and wound-healing properties of the A. pulchellus further research is required. Keywords: Agar disc diffusion, A. pulchellus, Wound healing, Antibacterial, Soxhlet apparatus
Publication date: 01/02/2026

https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2026/February/MS_IJBPAS_2026_9841.pdf

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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2026/15.2.9841