Abstract
The use of plant species is emerging as an important alternative in the treatment of injuries. Therefore, the extract of Sonchus oleraceus 10% was employed in the repair of skin lesions. A total of 36 male Wistar rats were subjected to a punch injury and divided into three groups: a negative control, receiving no treatment, a positive control, treated with Dersani, and the experimental group treated with the extract. The injury was assessed macroscopically and microscopically. Morphometric data was collected at the 3rd, 5th and 7th postoperative day, and the experimental group showed greater changes in shrinkage of the lesion compared to control groups. On the 3rd postoperative day, the injury in the experimental group showed less necrotic tissue, lower slough and more granulation tissue in relation to the positive control group. On the 7th and 10th postoperative day, the injury in the experimental group showed lower slough compared to the positive control group. Microscopic analysis of lesions on the 5th postoperative day revealed increased fibroplasia in the experimental group compared to control groups, while on the 14th postoperative day less neovascularization was evident in the experimental group and increased formation of hair follicles in the negative control group. The extract of S. oleraceus provided tissue repair in accordance with normal physiological patterns thus confirming empirical evidence for its use.
Highlights
In recent years, a return to medical treatment, considered by many health professionals as folk or nonscientific medicine, has intensified, along with the gradual reintroduction of many plant species, including weeds as an alternative or complementary therapy (Garros et al, 2006)
The lesion area of the negative control group showed no significant difference in relation to areas of injury compared to the positive control and experimental groups
The negative control group showed a lower intensity of vasodilatation with no significant difference in relation to positive control and experimental groups
Summary
A return to medical treatment, considered by many health professionals as folk or nonscientific medicine, has intensified, along with the gradual reintroduction of many plant species, including weeds as an alternative or complementary therapy (Garros et al, 2006). The use of these plant species is an emerging alternative to some ineffective synthetic products that is linked to socioeconomic factors and a search by the population for treatments which are less aggressive to the body and produce fewer side effects (Coelho, 1998). It has antiinflammatory and diuretic properties, as well as a healing action when used externally (Lorenzi, Matos, 2008)
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