Chenopodium ambroisioides in the Repair of Fractures in Rabbits

Abstract

Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Amaranthaceae), popularly known as "mastruz" or "erva-de-santa-maria", is a perennial plant found in Brazil and used in folk medicine for the treatment of contusions and fractures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the topical effect of a cataplasm prepared from fresh C. ambrosioides leaves on the treatment of fractures experimentally induced in rabbits. Thirty rabbits were divided into three groups (n = 10). After anesthesia, a radius fracture was created and the animals received topical applications of C. ambrosioides cataplasm (MZG), diclofenac sodium (DG) and isotonic solution 0.9% NaCl (Control). At 30 days, we evaluated the animal bone regeneration through both qualitative macroscopic analysis of the fracture focus as by determination of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The evolution of bone repair has been verified at 30 and 45 days through the histological analysis. No significant difference in ALP levels was observed between groups. In addition, no allergic reactions or impairment of tissue adjacent to the fracture focus were seen in any of the groups. In contrast, although all groups exhibited similar tissue architecture, the histological analysis revealed greater formation of mature bone tissue in MZG at 30 days, when compared to DG and control group. In addition, higher collagen fiber density was observed in MZG at 45 days. These results indicate Chenopodium ambrosioides as a promising therapeutic agent for bone regeneration. The plant may be useful as a raw material for the production of biomaterials for fracture healing, contributing to its validation in ethnomedicine.

Chenopodium ambrosioides as a bone graft substitute in rabbits radius fracture

“…The formation of the mature bone callus was observed in all groups at 90 days (Fig. 3), agreeing with the findings of Pinheiro Neto et al [8], which evaluated the action of C. ambrosioides poultice of leaves in osseous tissue of rabbits [8]. …”

“…Use of medicinal plants for graft production is a promising alternative since they are biocompatible, easily applied and stored, and have been shown to favor bone growth [8]. Chenopodium ambrosioides L. ( syn.…”

“…Studies from our group evaluating the effect of a poultice prepared from the leaves of C. ambrosioides on bone healing in rabbits have shown that this medicinal plant accelerates bone regeneration as demonstrated by radiological and histological analysis, highlighting the importance of medicinal plants as biomaterials [8]. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of C. ambrosioides as a bone graft substitute for the osseointegration of fractures in rabbits, compared to other bone grafts already employed in the surgical routine as Ricinus communis (castor oil) polyurethane and autogenous bone marrow.…”

Therapeutic Potential of <em>Alternanthera Brasiliana</em> and <em>Fridericia</em> <em>Platyphylla</em> Plants on Bone Healing in Rats

“…A complete, simple, transverse, 0.2 cm diaphyseal fracture was made in the radius using a drill machine. Next, 0.1 ml of the grafts (plant extracts) were immediately placed in the bone fracture (Pinheiro Neto et al, 2015) In the immediate postoperative period, the animals received a single dose of analgesic (tramadol), antibiotic (penicillin), and anti-inflammatory (meloxican), followed by daily curative. Euthanasia was performed through anesthetic overdose (ketamine, 240 mg/kg and xylazine, 30 mg/kg) to remove and analyze the fractured bone segment.…”

“…Interestingly, the use of medicinal plants as bone grafts is highly relevant, as they are free from infecting microorganisms, biocompatible, and easy to apply, in addition to stimulating bone growth. Therefore, medicinal plants should be an alternative for bone grafting and a source of raw material for the confection of new biomaterials prototypes (Ngueguim et al, 2012;Pinheiro Neto et al, 2015;Zhao et al, 2014) .…”