Angiogenic effect of indigenous herbal extracts: Bombax Ceiba and Erythrina variegata

Abstract

Angiogenesis is the process of formation of new vasculature; an important process in various pathological conditions. The study is focused on the screening of herbal plants targeting angiogenesis. The ethanolic extract of plant Bombax ceiba (EEBC) and Erythrina variegata (EEEV) were used. The experimental methods included regenerative angiogenesis assay in adult zebrafish and developmental angiogenesis assay in zebrafish embryos. For the regenerative angiogenesis assay, the regeneration of amputated fin length was evaluated. The adult zebrafishes were divided into 5 treatment groups of 8 fishes in each group. In developmental angiogenesis assay, various phenotype changes in embryos were observed. The embryos were divided into 5 groups with 12 embryos in each group. For both assays grouping was; group I vehicle control (DMSO), group II high dose of EEBC, group III low dose of EEBC, group IV high dose of EEEV and group V low dose of EEEV. The results of both the assays suggest that EEBC showed significant (p <0.05) pro-angiogenic activity while EEEV showed significant (p <0.05) anti-angiogenic activity. Therefore EEBC can prove beneficial in diseases related to insufficient angiogenesis like in management of wound healing while, EEEV in diseases related to excessive angiogenesis like management of cancer.