The wound healing potential of a pro-angiogenic peptide purified from Indian Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) venom.

The cutaneous wound healing property of a pro-angiogenic venom peptide (RVVAP) in a cream-based formulation was evaluated using the excision wound healing model on Wistar strain rats. The wound healing potency and modest antibacterial activity of RVVAP was enhanced significantly (p < 0.05) when combined with Aloe vera extract. RVVAP was also found to be non-toxic at the tested dose of 1.0 mg/kg. Nevertheless, the release of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α in RVVAP-treated mice was suppressed, compared to the untreated controls. This is the first report assessing the wound healing potential of a low-molecular mass, non-enzymatic, pro-angiogenic peptide purified from snake venom.