Original article

Topical Centella asiatica gel enhances tissue repair and attenuates inflammation in diabetic wounds: an experimental study in male Wistar rats

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Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of topical Centella asiatica extract gel on early healing of diabetic excision wounds.

Methods: A randomised, post-test-only in vivo experiment included 28 male Wistar rats with nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced diabetes and dorsal excision wounds. Rats were assigned to base gel, 0.1% gentamicin, 10% C. asiatica gel, or 20% C. asiatica gel (n = 7 per group) for seven days. Epithelial thickness, fibroblast counts, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, inflammation score, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed on day eight. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance with post hoc testing and Holm adjustment.

Results: Between-group differences were significant for epithelial thickness (p = 0.044), fibroblast counts (p = 0.020), CRP levels (p = 0.002), collagen deposition (p = 0.007), angiogenesis (p < 0.001), and inflammation score (p = 0.009), and all remained significant after Holm adjustment. The 10% C. asiatica gel group showed the highest epithelial thickness, fibroblast count, and collagen deposition, whereas the 20% C. asiatica gel group showed the lowest CRP level and inflammation score and the highest angiogenesis level.

Conclusion: Topical C. asiatica gel was associated with favourable changes in selected early histological repair and inflammatory parameters in diabetic excision wounds. The different patterns observed with the 10% and 20% formulations should be interpreted descriptively rather than as evidence of dose-response superiority.

Keywords: angiogenesis, C-reactive protein, Centella asiatica, fibroblasts, inflammation