Uzodike, E. B. And Onuoha, I. N.
Abstract
Cucumber is the edible fruit of the cucumber plant, Cucumis Sativus. Cucumber is used for skin treatment and natural beautification. It is called a cool fruit which effect is believed to bring relief to the eyes in summer. Thirty-six guinea pigs between ages 17-20weeks and weight 0.4-0.7kg had their cornea induced with acid burn wound using 0.1M of hydrochloric acid. The animals were then divided into four groups of 9 animals. The groups were CB group treated with cucumber bark extract only, CP group treated with cucumber pulp extract only, CB+CP group treated with cucumber bark and pulp extract and the control group that received no treatment. Stock extracts were used in the three groups; no dilution of any kind was employed. The regimen used was 2 drops of their drug, 3 times daily till healing occurred. The acid wounds were stained with fluorescein and the size measured with PD rule before the commencement of the treatment on the first day of the experiment and daily till the wound healed. At the end of the study, the CB+CP group had the shortest healing period (17days with a healing rate of 0.92mm ), followed by CB group (19days with a healing rate of 0.90mm ), the CP group (26 days with a healing rate of 0.80mm ) and lastly the control group (30days with healing rate of 0.70mm ). Statistical analysis using students to T-test (two-tailed) showed that the rates of healing between the treated groups and the control group were statistically significant(P>0.05). Cucumber extract when pharmacologically refined could be incorporated in first aid treatment of corneal acid burn.
Keywords: Cucumber extract, corneal acid burn, guinea pigs, alpha hydroxyl acids, beta hydroxyl acids.