Cydonia oblonga Mill.: Wound Healing Properties

Abstract

Traditional and indigenous medicines make significant use of natural raw materials and derivatives of natural products. Cydonia oblonga Mill, commonly known as ‘Behi’, in India or ‘Quince’ in English, belongs to the family of Rosaceae. Quince is one of the plants that has been traditionally cultivated for its medicinal, nutritional, and decorative properties. In India, quince is typically cultivated in backyards and on fence corners in Jammu and Kashmir and certain portions of Himachal Pradesh. Quince seed mucilage (QSM) is reported to have a significant wound healing potential, as it is believed to be the best for biomedical functions as it contains biocompatible, inexpensive, water-soluble glucuronoxylan and glucuronic acid-based biomaterials. QSM is utilized to make creams, nano-bandages, and dermal patches for the treatment of both two-degree burn wounds and inflammation caused by microbial infections. Nanoparticles of QSM (silver and zinc oxide) are also reported to attain synergistic wound healing activity with increased efficacy. There is still a need for clinical trials and research to evaluate quince-based extracts and QSM for their efficacy and safety.