Medicines derived from the roots of plants have been used since man first walked the earth, but a new discovery promises to speed up wound healing, even in people with compromised immune systems.

Using a novel compound called Picroliv, which is obtained from the roots of a plant Picrorhiza kurrooa, researchers found the substance enhances the rate of wound healing. It does so by enhancing the restoration of the blood supply to the damaged tissue.

Picrorhiza kurrooa is a an "endangered Himalayan medicinal herb of high commercial value," according to a statement on the Ingenta labs website.

Dr. Radha Maheshwari, professor of Pathology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences had published the findings from the study in the March 2007 edition of the journal Planta Medica. USU is a federal academic health center located at Bethesda, Maryland and it issued the press release this week under the heading "Healing the Wounds of War."

Students at USU are active-duty uniformed military officers who are being trained to treat war casualties.

Previous studies on Picroliv from Maheshwari's lab found the substance also protects from other problems with blood flow from injuries, according to the statement.