Tensile strength and collagen content evaluation of wounded skin of diabetic rats following topical treatment with hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves aqueous-methanolic extract / Ili Thuraya Ismail

The effects of the aqueous methanol extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves on tensile strength and collagen content of wounds on diabetic male Wistar rats were investigated. Fifty rats were randomly divided into four groups; (1) normal control; (2) negative control group with no treatment; (3) positive control group with topical silver sulfadiazine treatment; ( 4) treatment group that received topical treatment of 0.3 ml of IO mg/kg aqueous methanol (MeOH) extract. Diabetes in the rats was streptozotocin­ induced. A 4-cm2 wound was created on each rat except for those in the normal control group. The treatment was given daily. A group consisting of five rats from the positive and negative control and the treatment groups were sacrificed on the 3rd, 7t11 and 14th day of the study. The skin around the wound was taken for collagen content and tensile strength measurement. Our findings showed a significant increase in tensile strength and collagen content in rats treated with topical aqueous methanol extract compared to those treated with silver sulfadiazine and those that received no treatment. As a conclusion, a topical application of aqueous methanol extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves may improve wound healing in diabetic rats.