Effect of alcoholic extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis) on the healing process in surgical and burn wounds in rats

Green tea has numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammation activities. This study was preformed to investigate the effect of alcoholic extract of green tea on healing process of surgical and burn wounds.

In this experimental study, 34 male Wistar rats were divided into surgical wound (4 cm) and burn wound (2.8 cm) groups. In each group, 6 rats were treated with the Vaseline ointment containing 0.6% green tea extract (A1 and A2 groups), 6 rats were treated with Vaseline without green tea extract (B1 and B2 groups) and 5 rats were treated with normal saline (C1 and C2 groups) within 21 days. The length and the area of wounds were measured by a Collis every other day, from day 2 to day 21. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS (version16) at the significant level of P<0.05.

The mean time of wound healing using ointment with and without extract were 14.66 ± 1.94 and 20.66 ± 0.37 days (P=0.018) in surgical wounds and 18 ± 0.62 and 20.66 ± 0.38 days (P=0.023) in burn wounds, respectively. The reduction of surgical wound length during the first 2 weeks (P=0.043) and the reduction of burn wound area in the third week of study (P<0.013) were significantly higher in the groups treated with green tea.

Green tea extract, that significantly reduced the healing time of surgical and burn wounds in this study, can be used as an effective material in the treatment of these types of wounds.