Effects of herbal mixture on burned rat skin infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the healing impact of an ointment derived from the Alkanna tinctoria plant upon Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced infections. 
 Material and Methods: In this study, 18 male adolescent rats (mean age 6 weeks) weighed an average of 180 g were used. Animals were divided into 3 groups. Group 1: Control group (consisting of burns, no treatment was done), Group 2 (P. aeruginosa): Burn was created and infected with P. aeruginosa, Group 3 (Cream): P. aeruginosa was used to infect the burns area and the herbal mixture was administered twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Under anesthesia, the backs of the rats were shaved, and a specially produced steel bar with a diameter of 1*1 cm was immersed in boiling water for 15 seconds before being applied to their backs for 20 seconds. The burned area was subsequently infected with the ATCC Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, and samples were collected 24 hours later. To detect bacterial growth in this area, the samples were inoculated on blood and EMB (Eosin Methylene Blue) media in a microbiology laboratory. After inoculation, the animals were placed in separate sterile cages and randomly divided into three groups. Once the growth was observed, the tissue and blood samples were harvested from the rats on the 2nd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days.
 Results: Epithelial regeneration in this group was more prominent. Vascularization was remarkable on the 2nd day, especially in the group in where we induced a burn and applied the ointment. VEGF levels increased more in the ointment group than in that of others. On the 2nd day of the study, the average bacterial count was 105 in sample of both 2nd and 3rd groups. At the end of the study, while the average of bacterial count was increased in the 2nd group, the average of bacterial count was decreased in the 3rd group.
 Conclusion: It was concluded that the ointment obtained from A. tinctorial successfully repaired the epithelial tissue and contributed to the healing of wounds by modifying increasing VEGF in the blood. However, further research is needed before this ointment can be highly recommended for therapeutic usage