Wound Burn Healing Property of Puting Anghel (Wrightia antidysenterica) Leaves Extract as Topical Cream in Wistar Albino Rats

Abstract

Burn wound injuries are prevalent global health issues that frequently result in pain, infection, scarring, and even death. In the Philippines, the UP-PGH ATR Burn Center reports that most second-degree burn patients are children (50%) and working-age adults (25%) due to poor supervision and work accidents. Effective treatments are essential to promote healing, reduce complications, and minimize scarring. Puting Anghel (Wrightia antidysenterica) leaves contain flavonoids, tannins, phenols, and alkaloids, suggesting wound healing potential when formulated into a cream. Patch and Scratch Tests on three guinea pigs confirmed its safety, showing no signs of irritation. The cream’s effectiveness was evaluated using five rat groups: three received different concentrations of Puting Anghel cream, one received Aloe Vera gel (positive control), and one received cream base (negative control). Histopathological analysis and epithelialization time were assessed. ANOVA and post-hoc analyses showed that the 75% concentration of Puting Anghel cream had significantly better re-epithelialization, neovascularization, granulation tissue formation, fibroblast maturation, and lower inflammation compared to the cream base (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between the 75% Puting Anghel cream and Aloe Vera gel, indicating comparable healing effects. The study concludes that 75% Puting Anghel cream is a safe and effective wound treatment.