An Ethnopharmacological Study of Australian Indigenous Medicinal Plants Used in Dermatological and Wound Healing Remedies

Abstract

In this study, relevant in vitro biological activities were evaluated in extracts of Australian medicinal plants used in indigenous traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds, sores and other dermatological conditions. A survey of Australian medical ethnobotanical literature was conducted in order to identify suitable species and plant parts for inclusion in the study and to collect data for systematic and quantitative analyses of Australian indigenous medicinal plant use. Thirty-seven aqueous extracts were obtained following traditional methods of preparation from various parts of 23 plant species representing 15 families. Sequential solvent extracts (hexane-dichloromethane-methanol) were also prepared using material from 5 species of 'Eremophila' to enable comparison of bioactivity with corresponding traditional aqueous preparations. Extracts were screened using in vitro assays for anti-microbial activities, anti-oxidant capacity via DMPD decolourisation and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assays, P388D1 murine lymphoblast cytotoxicity, and inhibition of prostaglandin E2 from calcium ionophore-stimulated murine fibroblasts. Total phenolic content of the aqueous preparations was also estimated using a Folin-Ciocalteu type assay.