Wound-Healing and Antibacterial Activities of Caryopteris mongolica Bunge Root Extract Ointment in an Experimental...

Caryopteris mongolica Bunge is a medicinal plant native to Mongolia with a long history of use in traditional medicine for treating skin infections and inflammatory conditions. Recent phytochemical investigations have identified potent antibacterial constituents in its root extracts, particularly active against Gram-positive bacteria. The present study aimed to develop a novel topical ointment formulation incorporating ethanolic extract of C. mongolica roots, Vaseline, and lavender oil, and to evaluate both its antibacterial activity and wound-healing efficacy within an integrated experimental framework. Antibacterial activity was assessed using disk diffusion method against four Gram-positive strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Micrococcus luteus). Activity was first observed at 3.0 mg/mL, and consistent inhibition at 5.0 mg/mL, which was selected as the working concentration. Physicochemical evaluation showed that all ointment parameters were within USP 30 standards, and microbiological testing indicated the absence of pathogenic contaminants. Wound-healing efficacy was evaluated using eight-week-old BALB/c mice randomly divided into three groups (n = 15 per group): untreated control, vehicle ointment control, and C. mongolica ointment-treated group. Topical application every two days for 14 days resulted in higher wound closure in the C. mongolica-treated group (97.1%) compared with vehicle (92.96%) and untreated (92.35%) controls. Statistically significant differences were observed during the early phase of healing (days 3 and 5; p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were detected at later time points. Histopathological analyses showed improved epidermal regeneration (794.65 ± 75.27 μm vs. 394.59 ± 58.5 μm), granulation tissue thickness, collagen deposition, and neovascularization in treated wounds, along with minimal inflammatory cell infiltration by day 14. These findings suggest that C. mongolica root extract ointment is associated with antibacterial activity and improved wound-healing outcomes in an experimental animal model, though a direct causal relationship between these two properties was not established.