African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Vol. 5(17), pp. 1996-2001, 8 November, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJPP DOI: 10.5897/AJPP11.190 ISSN 1996-0816 © 2011 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Anti-inflammatory and wound healing activity of Fagonia schweinfurthii alcoholic extract herbal gel on albino rats Saleh I. Alqasoumi 1,2 , Hasan S. Yusufoglu 1 * and Aftab Alam 1 1 Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Al Kharj University, Al Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2 Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Accepted 21 September, 2011 Traditionally, a large number of plants are used for treatment of inflammation and wounds. In Asian and African countries Fagonia schweinfurthii (Hadidi) (F. Zygophyllaceae) and the closely related herb, such as Fagonia arabica are traditionally used for treatment of inflammation, open wounds, boils, skin eruptions, allergies, etc. Hence, the present study was conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects of 90% alcoholic extract of F. schweinfurthii formulated gel on carrageenan induced rats paw edema and excision wound model, respectively. The effects were compared with the anti-inflammatory diclofenac sodium ointment (Diclomax ® ) and the wound healing povidone-iodine (Betadine ® ) drugs. The herbal gels and diclofenac sodium ointment were topically applied (0.5 g) to the planter surface of the left hind paw and anti-inflammatory effect was observed within 3 h. The wound healing effect was investigated by application of 0.5 g/wound of the F. schweinfurthii gel and Betadine ® once daily for 19 days to the excision wound of albino rats and was observed at 4 days intervals. It was observed that gel formulations have progressive anti-inflammatory effect and accelerate the wound closer time. This study suggests that F. schweinfurthii plant extract gel formulation could be developed as a therapeutic agent for anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects. Key words: Fagonia schweinfurthii, herbal formulation, anti-inflammatory, wound healing. INTRODUCTION Fagonia schweinfurthii and its closely related species are widely distributed in deserts and dry areas of India to tropical Africa and Chile to South West U.S.A. They are traditionally well known for the treatment of hemorrhoids, inflammation, sores, leprosy, open wounds and fever in the form of internal and external conventional formulation (Miller et al., 1988). When the powder that is made up of the whole plant of F. schweinfurthii is dusted on boils and skin eruptions, it causes healing and when the whole plant is boiled in water, its bath is useful for allergies and other skin diseases and decoction is given orally as blood purifier (Qureshi et al., 2010). The other species like Fagonia bruguieri aqueous extract is claimed for anti- *Corresponding author. E-mail: hasanagazar@hotmail.com. Tel: +966-1-5886025, +966-535159935. Fax: +966-1-5886001. allergy (Abdulaziz and Hussein, 2007). Fagonia cretica methanol extract is claimed for good antimicrobial potential (Anjum et al., 2007) and it exhibited strong free radical scavenging properties against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (Rawal et al., 2004). The other effects of Fagonia species include anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and thrombolytic activity (Prasad et al., 2007; Satpute et al., 2009). Many chemical constituent's, such as triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoid glycosides, etc., have already been reported in different Fagonia spp. (Shaker et al., 1999; Abdel-Khalik et al., 2001; El-Wakil, 2007). Although, currently used anti- inflammatory and wound healings drugs are associated with some severe side effects, herbal products are often perceived as safe, because they are natural therefore, the development of potent anti-inflammatory and wound healer drugs with fewer side effects is necessary (Gesler, 1992). Inflammation is considered as a primary physiologic defense mechanism that helps body to