Wound Healing Potential of Methanolic Extract of Scrophularia striata in Rats

Background: Scrophularia striata is a well-known plant in Iranian traditional medicine and its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties make it a logical adjuvant to improve wound healing. This study was designed to evaluate the wound healing potential of S. striata on cutaneous wounds in rat. Methods: A full-thickness excisional wounds was induced on the back of 75 Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were randomly allocated into five groups, treated with 1ml basal cream, 1ml tetracycline (3%), 1ml S. striata 5%, 1ml S. striata 10% and untreated (control). Five animals of each group were euthanized at each of 10, 20 and 30-days post-injury (DPI) and wounds were assessed through gross and histopathological analyses. Results: Treated rats with S. striata showed a significant decrease in the wound area during the experiment compared to other groups. Additionally, treatment with S. striata decresed the number of lymphocytes and enhanced the number of fibroblasts at the earlier stages and increased number of fibrocytes at the later stages of wound healing. Other parameters such as alignment of the healing tissue, re-epithelilization and epithelial formation, enhanced maturity of the collagen fibers and fibroblasts and large capillary-sized blood vessels showed significant changes when compared to control. The best wound healing activity was observed with the high dose of S. striata. Conclusion: The present study showed that application of S. striata extract on wounds induces considerable wound contraction and accelerates healing and it may be suggested for treating different types of wounds in animal and human beings.