Healing and cytotoxicity potentials of ointment containing aqueous extract of Anethum graveolens on cutaneous wounds in male rats

Abstract

Anethum graveolens is a well-known plant in Iranian traditional medicine, and its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties make it a logical adjuvant to improve wound healing. The aim of the study was to survey the wound healing property of aqueous extract of A. graveolens. The extract had great cell viability dose dependently, and this method was found to be non-toxic for synthesizing A. graveolens. In this study, 120 Sprague Dawley male rats were used. After creating a cutaneous wound, the animals were randomly divided into four groups: untreated control, treatment with Eucerin ointment, treatment with 3% tetracycline ointment, and treatment with 3% A. graveolens aqueous extract ointment (3 g of A. graveolens aqueous extract + 97 g base ointment). On days 10, 20, and 30 after creating the wound, for biochemical and histopathological analysis of the cutaneous wound healing trend, a section was prepared from all dermal thicknesses. A. graveolens aqueous extract ointment could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduce the levels of the wound area, total cell, lymphocyte, and neutrophil and enhance the levels of wound contracture, hydroxyproline, hexosamine, and fibrocyte as compared with the basal ointment and control groups. In conclusion, the present study showed that the application of A. graveolens extract on wounds induces considerable wound contraction and accelerates healing, and it may be suggested for treating different types of wounds in animals and human beings.