Co-administration of Acarbose with Aqueous Extract of Root and Leaf of Sphenocentrum Jollyanum Accelerates Wound Closure in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Acarbose is an anti-hyperglycemic drug recognized as an inhibitor of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes. Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for wound repair; the inhibition of enzymes involved prevents a post-prandial rise in blood glucose. Sphenocentrum jollyanum Pierre, Menispermaceae, is traditionally employed in folklore to manage chronic wounds. The present study combined the anti-hyperglycemic effect of acarbose and wound healing potentials of S. jollyanum as a modality for wound treatment in diabetic rats. Acarbose (25 mg/kg) was orally administered while the extracts of root and leaf were topically applied both for 14 post-wound days in high-fat diet/streptozotocin–induced diabetic rats. A significant reduction in the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), number of microbial colonies, and activities of myeloperoxidase with a concomitant increase in the level of vascular endothelial growth factor were observed on wounds of diabetic rats. Dereplication of compounds in the plant material was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. It revealed the presence of several phenolic compounds with p-coumaric acid (7.4 mg/100 g) and kaempferol (18.2 mg/100 g) being the highest quantified in the root and leaf, respectively. The topical use of S. jollyanum co-administered with oral acarbose effectively enhanced wound healing and may represent a therapeutic approach for diabetic wound management.