Wound healing effect of cuttlebone extract in burn injury of rat

Burn injury, one of the most common diseases in primary care, is also a major cause of death and disability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cuttlebone (CB) extract in thermal burn wounds in rats and to compare its effects with those of silver sulfadiazine (SSD), the most widely used burn treatment. Burn injury was produced in rats by immersion of the shaved dorsal area to hot water. CB or SSD was applied topically after burn injury. Histological analysis, CBC counts and malonialdehyde (MDA) activities were evaluated 1, 4, 7, and 14 days post-treatment. CB and SSD significantly increased re-epithelialization in burn wounds and decreased WBC levels after 14 days of treatment. These drugs also reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. By FT-IR, we characterized chitin the main component of CB. Taken together, these results suggest the wound healing effects of CB and its therapeutic value in the treatment of burn injury.