Comparison of the effect of ointment containing Citrus aurantium extract with phenytoin ointment on wound healing

Increasing the speed of wound healing with the least scar tissue prevents wound infection and restores the integrity and health of the skin to normal. In this regard, medicinal plants with restorative effects have long been considered to prevent infection and rapid healing of superficial wounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wound healing after topical application of ointment containing Citrus aurantium extract (5%) in comparison with phenytoin ointment in rats. For this purpose, 32 adult rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, including negative control group, positive control group (without treatment), Citrus aurantium ointment treatment group (5%) and phenytoin ointment treatment group (1%). In this experiment, the skin of the lumbar region of mice was cut into 1 cm2 after anesthesia. Ointment containing Citrus aurantium extract and phenytoin ointment was applied topically twice a day for 14 days. Tissue samples were taken at 4, 7, 10 and 14 days after incision and microscopic images were obtained. Blood samples were taken from mice every 6 days to check the growth factor. On microscopic examination on the fourth day, budding tissue including fibroblast cell proliferation and developing blood vessels (angiogenesis) was observed in both treatment groups. On the seventh day, the bud tissue was less formed in the treated groups than in the control group. On the tenth day, the formation of epithelial tissue was observed in the group treated with Citrus aurantium extract as opposed to the group treated with phenytoin. On the fourteenth day, more collagen deposition and absence of inflammatory cells were observed in the group treated with Citrus aurantium extract than in the group treated with phenytoin. Growth factor levels were not significantly different in the study groups. Examination of microscopic images and measurement of wound shrinkage revealed that the group treated with spring orange extract had a higher percentage of improvement than the group treated with phenytoin, which was statistically significant (p<0.001). The results show that Citrus aurantium extract (5%) heals wounds faster than phenytoin ointment.