title: The evaluation of the healing proprieties of pumpkin and linseed oils on deep second-degree burns in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medicinal plants have been recognized as useful remedies for primary health care. Accordingly, Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae) (pumpkin) and Linum usitatissimum (L.) Griesb. (Linaceae) (linseed) which have extracted oil with prominent pharmacological properties are investigated as possible burn healing treatments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study assesses the healing potential of pumpkin and linseed extracted oils on rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Uniform deep second-degree burns were induced on the dorsum of 24 rats, randomly divided into four groups. The burns were measured, photographed, and topically treated with saline solution, "Cytol Centella®", pumpkin, and linseed-extracted oils (0.52 µl/mm(2) of oil) each 2 d (up until day 33). Post-burning of the 33rd day, biopsies were histologically assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the experiment, the rat groups treated with linseed, pumpkin oils, and "Cytol Centella®" had higher percentage of wound contraction (98.68, 96.71, and 92.54%, respectively) than the control group (58.38%). Wound biopsies from rats treated with extracted oils showed the best tissue regeneration proprieties as compared with the other groups. The histomorphometric analysis of biopsies revealed that linseed oil could significantly stimulate angiogenesis (55.6% ± 7.25). The pumpkin oil, and Cytol Centella® could significantly increase the collagen production 64.9% ± 5.94, and 61.2% ± 7.36, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, our study has given for the first time scientific evidence of the healing efficiency of pumpkin and linseed oils on burn-wounds.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Pharmacology and.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bardaa
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Pharmacology and.
authors.forename: Dorsaf
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moalla
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory of Histology Embryology and Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax , University of Sfax , Sfax , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sameh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Khedir
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory of Histology Embryology and Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax , University of Sfax , Sfax , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rebai
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Pharmacology and.
authors.forename: Zouheir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sahnoun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D028464:Cucurbita; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D019597:Flax; D008043:Linseed Oil / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D008043:Linseed Oil
keywords: Angiogenesis; collagen; wound healing