Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa damascena on post-laparotomy intra-abdominal adhesions in rat

Peritoneal adhesions can be defined as abnormal fibrous bands between peritoneal or pelvic cavity. Flavonoid agents with antioxidant properties are present in Rosa damascene and seem to be useful for prevention of intra-abdominal adhesion formation. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effect of R. damascena hydroalcoholic extract on prevention of adhesions. In this experimental study, 30 rats were divided randomly into 3 groups; group A received 1% extract, group B 5% extract and group C distilled water. During laparotomy, three longitudinal and transvers incisions each of 2 cm length were made in the serous surface by scalpel in the right and left sides of peritoneum, and a 2x2 cm patch was completely cut off. Group A and B received 1% and 5% hydroalcoholic extract of R. damascena (3 ml, intra-abdominal cavity) respectively and group C received distilled water during the surgery. Two weeks later in the second laparotomy, the adhesions were graded by means of Canbaz scale. Using SPSS v.16 software, data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. There were significant differences between the scores of groups A and C (P = 0.007). The mean adhesion scores were 1.4 ± 1.265 and 3 ± 0.816 in groups A and C respectively. Results of this study demonstrated that use of R. damascena 1% extracts may result in effective prevention of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. After more studies in the future, R. damascena or its derivatives may prove to be useful for prevention of adhesions.