Effects of topical allicin on second-intention wound healing in dogs (histological aspects)

Alllicin is one of the pharmacologically active garlic sulfur compounds that have antimicrobial (antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic) and vasodilating effects. Five normal, male, mixed-breed dogs were selected to investigate the effects of allicin (5 mg/ml in methyl cellulose gel) as a topical treatment for full-thickness, excisional wounds. The dogs were approximately 3 years old. The histological aspects of second-intention wound healing were studied. Eight full-thickness skin wounds (20×20 mm) were created on the back of each dog. On days 0, 7, 14 and 21, each dog received two wounds, symmetrically, and were assigned to one of two groups: control (methyl cellulose gel) or test (allicin 5 mg/ml methyl cellulose gel). Wounds were treated once daily for a week. Left-side wounds were treated with allicfin (test group) and right-side wounds were treated with methylcellulose gel (control group). At day 28 (4 weeks) after initial wounding, biopsies were taken from wounds for histological examination. The density of inflammatory cells in the center of the day 7 wounds was significantly lower in test group (P=0.041), but the density of fibrocytes and fibroblasts in the center of day 7 wounds was significantly higher in the test group (P=0.042). No significant differences were observed in the amount of collagen and fibrin between the test and control wounds (P>0.05). © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2006.