Wound healing activity of the essential oils of and Populus alba in a burn wound model in rats.

Background and objectives: The present study evaluates the effect of essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis and Populus alba on experimentally cutaneous heat-induced burn injury in rat. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, the acute toxicity test was carried out on Wistar rats that received intraperitoneally gradual doses (0.5to 7 ml/Kg) of the both essential oils. Then, Second-degree burn wounds were induced in five groups (N=5 in each). The percentage of wound healing were assessed on 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days. In the other hand, wound surface was monitored and photographed during the period of treatment. Results and Conclusion: The essential oil of Populus alba and even Rosmarinus officinalis have no acute toxicity in rats. The treated rats with essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis and Populus alba presented a high level in healing percentage in comparison to the other groups (4.99 ± 2.3, 4.22 ± 0.19, 36.48 ± 1.12, 29.99 ± 0.8 and 84.82 ± 6.41% for the untreated, placebo, Rosmarinus officinalis, Populus alba and Madecassol® group respectively). Moreover, the results of wound surface at the 25 day presented a value of 6.65 ± 0.16, 6.7 ± 0.01, 4.44 ± 0.07, 4.9 ± 0.05 and 1.06 ± 0.44 cm² respectively for the Untreated, Placebo, Rosmarinus officinalis, Populus alba and Madecassol® groups. These essential oils have a marked healing effect during the proliferative phase of wound healing process induced in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]