Original article

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

Authors

• • Eko Setiawan drekosetiawan+mg@unissula.ac.id Email Eko Setiawan. (compose email, opens in email app.) Eko Setiawan ORCID profile. (opens in new tab)
  • • Conceptualization
    • Formal Analysis
    • Methodology
    • Project Administration
    • Supervision
    • Writing - Original Draft
    • Writing - Review & Editing
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  • Department of Doctoral Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine
  • Sultan Agung Islamic University View ROR record for Sultan Agung Islamic University. (opens in new tab)
• • Dimas Irfan Nabih Dimas Irfan Nabih ORCID profile. (opens in new tab)
  • • Conceptualization
    • Formal Analysis
    • Methodology
    • Writing - Original Draft
    • Writing - Review & Editing
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  • Department of Master of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine
  • Sultan Agung Islamic University View ROR record for Sultan Agung Islamic University. (opens in new tab)
• • Farhan Arifendy Rahman Farhan Arifendy Rahman ORCID profile. (opens in new tab)
  • • Data Curation
    • Investigation
    • Writing - Original Draft
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  • Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
  • Sultan Agung Islamic University View ROR record for Sultan Agung Islamic University. (opens in new tab)
• • Hasan Syarief Hasan Syarief ORCID profile. (opens in new tab)
  • • Data Curation
    • Investigation
    • Writing - Original Draft
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  • Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
  • Sultan Agung Islamic University View ROR record for Sultan Agung Islamic University. (opens in new tab)

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

How to Cite: Setiawan, E. , Nabih, D. I. , Rahman, F. A. & Syarief, H. (2026) “Topical Centella asiatica gel enhances tissue repair and attenuates inflammation in diabetic wounds: an experimental study in male Wistar rats”, Medicinski glasnik. 23(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.17392/medglas-2181-23-2