Healing effect of Terminalia chebula Retz extract on second-degree burns in rats

Purpose: To investigate the healing effect of Terminalia chebula Retz. Extract (TCRE) on second-degree burns in rats. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 200 - 220 g, were subjected to deep second-degree skin burns by electrical scald instrument. The animals were divided into three groups as follows: (1) second-degree burns model (control) group, (2) burns model treated with 1 % silver sulfadiazine (SSD) group, and (3) burns model treated with 100 mg.mL(-1) TCRE group. On days 3, 7 and 14 following the administration of the drug/extract, the wound area and histopathological changes in rat epidermis were evaluated for the various groups. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of TCRE on Staphyloccocus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli were also assessed separately. Results: On day 14, the mean wound area of TCRE treatment group (0.25 +/- 0.06 cm(2)) was significantly smaller than that of the control rats (2.71 +/- 0.20 cm(2), p < 0.01). The histological results indicate that the inflammatory cells disappeared and were replaced by new granulation tissue in the group treated with 100 mg.mL(-1) TCRE by day 14. Compared with SSD group rats, the inflammatory cells and fibroblast and granulation tissues of burnt rats treated with 100 mg.mL(-1) TCRE were same as those of rats that had no burns. The antibacterial results revealed that the MIC of TCRE on Staphyloccocus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli was 3.13, 12.5 and 6.25 mg.mL(-1), respectively. Conclusion: Terminalia chebula Retz. has potentials to be developed as an effective medicinal herb for the treatment of second-degree burns.