LATICIFEROUS PLANT PROTEASES IN WOUND CARE

Context: Since antiquity, different parts of plants such as bark, stem and leaves have been used in wound healing. Around 10% of the angiosperm plants produce a natural polymer from specialized laticiferous cells called latex. The major role played by the latex is in wound healing and defensive mechanism against infectious diseases in plants.Objective: This paper emphasizes the role of various plant latex proteases in wound healing. The review also emphasizes on the methodology to be adopted in accessing the proteases studied for procoagulant and thrombolytic activities.Methods: This review conglomerates the reports of laticiferous plants of different families viz., Altingiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apocyanaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asteraceae, Caricaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, Papaveraceae, Plumbaginaceae, and Solanaceae involved in wound healing. Emphasis was given on the all possible reports on laticiferous plants in wound healing with thorough literature survey.Results: A number of proteases have been studied from plant latex proteases for their role in wound healing. Some have been extensively studied with characterization while some are yet to be explored. This review enables a detailed up-to-date knowledge of laticiferous plants studied scientifically for wound care.Conclusion: In the past 20 years, with biochemical and pharmacological characterization of plant latex it has come to light that proteases are involved in wound healing. However, research on latex protease is still in budding stage. Adopting the proteases having promising applicability in wound care needs to be focussed.Â