Effects of topical application of essential oil from resin of almescar (Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) Marchand) in experimentally induced skin wounds in rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and histopathological aspects of topical application of almescar (Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl.) Marchand) oil resin on the healing processes of experimentally induced wounds in rats (Rattus norvegicus). Male rats (n=16) were randomly distributed into two experimental groups: group treated with almescar oil resin at 0.5% in isotonic solution (GO, n=8) and control group (CG, n=8). The experimental lesions were treated daily for 30 days. Macroscopic and histopathological analyses were performed on days 3, 7, 14 and 21, respectively. A wound contraction of 94.77% was recorded for GO and 93.91% 21 days after the lesion. The chemical constituents identified in the essential oil were predominantly monoterpenes, α-terpinolene (32.7%), limonene (22.0%) and 3-carene (15.0%) were identified as major components. Wounds in both groups had a significant reduction in the wound area during the trial period (p <.0001). Comparing the groups in different stages of evaluation, there were significant differences on day 3 (p = 0.0268), day 7 (p = 0.0031) and day 14 (p = .0190). In conclusion, the topical application of almescar resin oil was beneficial in the healing process of experimentally induced skin wounds in rats, making it a therapeutic option in veterinary medicine.