EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF Trichosanthes dioica LEAVES: A REVIEW
Varsha Hans1, Mohit Mangla2, Abhinash Saini1, Manish Yadav2, Vinod Kumar2
1Research Scholar, 2Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacy, SOMAS, G D Goenka University, Gurugram, India
Abstract: Wound healing is a complex biological process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling to restore the structural and functional integrity of damaged tissues. Medicinal plants have gained considerable attention in wound management because of their diverse pharmacological properties and relatively safer therapeutic profile compared to synthetic agents. Among various medicinal plants, the Trichosanthes dioica species belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae possesses several bioactive phytoconstituents that may contribute significantly to tissue repair and regeneration. The present review focuses on the phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities and potential wound healing mechanisms associated with Trichosanthes dioica leaves. Various secondary metabolites including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenolic compounds, glycosides, terpenoids and phytosterols reported in the leaves exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and collagen-promoting activities that are closely associated with different phases of wound healing. The review further discusses in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches such as fibroblast proliferation assay, scratch wound assay, excision wound model, incision wound model, burn wound model and diabetic wound model for evaluating wound healing efficacy. Histopathological, biochemical and molecular parameters including re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, collagen deposition, hydroxyproline estimation, antioxidant enzyme activity, cytokine analysis and growth factor expression are also highlighted to explain tissue regenerative mechanisms. In addition, important molecular pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK and TGF-β signaling involved in wound repair are discussed in relation to phytoconstituents present in Trichosanthes dioica leaves. Although direct scientific evidence regarding wound healing activity of Trichosanthes dioica leaves remains limited, the available phytopharmacological information suggests promising therapeutic potential for tissue regeneration and wound management. Therefore, further experimental, molecular, and formulation-based investigations are necessary to establish the clinical significance and therapeutic applicability of Trichosanthes dioica leaf extract in regenerative medicine.
Keywords: Trichosanthes dioica leaves; wound healing; phytoconstituents; antioxidant activity; anti-inflammatory activity; antimicrobial activity; collagen synthesis; fibroblast proliferation; angiogenesis; tissue regeneration; NF-κB pathway; MAPK signaling; herbal formulations
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 07 2026: 157 – 186