title: Effect of Malva sylvestris cream on burn injury and wounds in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Burn injury is one of the most health-threatening problems in the world. Malva sylvestris (M. sylvestris) flowers have a high mucilage content and are used as a remedy for cut wound and dermal infected wounds in Iranian folklore Medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of M. sylvestris cream on the second degree burn injury in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five groups of 10 rats per group were burned with hot metal plate. Animals were administrated divided as control, normal saline, standard silver sulfadiazine 1% (SSD), 5% M. sylvestris, and 10% M. sylvestris into separate groups. Wound area, percentage of wound contraction, and histological and bacteriological assessments were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound sizes were not significantly different among groups on 1(st) and 3(rd) days after burn injury, while they were significantly different among groups after 7(th) day post-burn injury. The average areas of wounds on the 15(th) day were 7.5±2.9, 6.7±2, 10.5±1.6, 4.7±2, and 4.5±2 cm(2) for base cream, normal saline, SSD, 5% M. sylvestris, and 10% M. sylvestris, respectively. The results of histology exhibited well-formed horizontally-oriented collagen fibers in MS topical treatment groups. Microorganisms existed in the SSD group were most probably Staphilococcus epidermitis and for NS group were staphylococcus saprophiteccus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  M. sylvestris cream improved histological changes of tissue components in the process of healing when compared with SSD cream. Therefore, it can be used as a topical treatment agent for burn wound.
authors.affiliation: Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nasiri
authors.affiliation: Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Jalal
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hosseinimehr
authors.affiliation: Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azadbakht
authors.affiliation: Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Enayati-Fard
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Sohail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azizi
keywords: Burns; Malva sylvestris; Rats; Silver sulfadiazine; Wound healing