Wound healing potentials of plant products

Wounds are perhaps, inescapable events in the life of an organism and at times they are dangerous or even life threatening. In the management of wound, control of pain, bleeding and infection have received due attention and have been successfully dealt with. These achievements, together with astounding advances in the surgical skill, and techniques, have greatly improved the asthetics of wound scar. Yet there is a ring of truth in what has been recently emphasized "the scope of surgery over the centuries has been directly proportional to the degree to which we have been able to depend upon repair and resistance to infection. Extensive screening of plants for wound healing profile has shown some good results. These plant products affect various phases (coagulation, inflammation, fibroplasia, collagenation, epithelization and wound contraction) of healing alike or differently. This is possible because various phases of wound healing are apparently independent, but interlinked and run concurrently. Some plant products are already in use. Isolation of active principles of these plants may provide the basic nucleus upon which synthetic drugs can be produced. The selected and careful use of these plant products may definitely help in better wound management. Hence it is possible that, herbal remedies definitely hold hope for the discovery of potent prohealers.