Histometric and histopathologic study of the effects of celery and spearmint essence on the healing of experimental skin surgery in the rat

In this study, histometrical and histopathological effects of celery and spearmint essences which were mixed as lotion were evaluated on the process of wound healing following surgical skin trauma in the rat. Forty five female Wistar rats were selected and after anesthesia with xylazine and ketamine, four full thickness wounds were created on their dorsum using number 7 biopsy punch. The rats were then randomly divided to three equal groups and numbered. In group one the herbal lotion was administered at the lower dose of 2ml /cm2 twice a day, in group two the higher dose was administered at 2ml /cm2 four times a day while group three or the control group received placebo (distilled water). The treatment continued for 21 days during which daily digital images were taken from the wounds and the wound area calculated using digital image analysis software. Also on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 after trauma, the wounds were biopsied for histopathological evaluations (3 rats/group) and these rats were omitted from the rest of the study. Histometrical and histopathological findings indicated the stimulatory effect of the herbal lotion on wound healing during the epithelialization phase and this stimulatory effect was more effective and prominent in the treatment group which received the lower dose and the results were statistically significant (p