ABSTRACT

Citrus paradisi Macfad. commonly known referred to as grapefruit, ranks as  the second most widely cultivated citrus fruit globally. Its peel harbours a multitude of biological activities and characteristics, encompassing antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, astringent, and preservative properties. This study focused on evaluating the phytochemical attributes and the wound healing potential of an aqueous extract of Citrus paradisi peel in different concentrations on albino Wistar rats. Fruits were washed, peeled, cut into small pieces, pulverized and underwent extraction through the maceration process employing distilled water. Fifteen (15) albino Wistar rats weighing between 145 g to 265 g were randomly allocated into five test groups. The excision wounds were induced on the dorsal region of the rats, and wound area measurements were conducted every alternate day for two weeks. These groups received topical treatment with varying dosages of the experimental ointment (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg of aqueous extract), the positive control group was administered Nitrofurazone at 2 mg/kg and the negative control group received no treatment. Phytochemical analysis was performed to identify the main classes of compounds present in the Citrus paradisi peel extract using established methodologies. Significant wound healing activity was observed with topical application of Citrus paradisi peel extract. During the observation period, the healing process the groups of 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg were significantly different compared to the negative control. The effectiveness of wound reduction became evident from Day 6. In group I (25 mg/kg) the wound diameter significantly reduced from 3.40 cm in day 2 to 0.83 cm in day 12. Furthermore, a higher rate of wound contraction was observed for all the treated groups except for the control group.