Lycopene potentiates wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background Diabetes is a growing metabolic disease that is characterized by high blood sugar levels with life-threatening results. Diabetic wounds are a major problem because they do not resolve in few days. Major problems affecting wound healing are infection, age, stress, etc. at the wound site, and other associated disease conditions. Lycopene is a red pigment obtained from various fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, and guava. It is a powerful antioxidant that scavenges reactive oxygen species and potential as nutraceuticals. It has reported antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antiaging activities based on the literature. Objective The objective of the current study is to find the wound-healing potential of lycopene emulgel (LE) and report the properties of the compound. Methods Wound healing activity was assessed in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and control rats. Streptozotocin injection (55 mg/kg) was used to induce marked hyperglycaemia, compared with controls. The formulation was applied topically and was evaluated for efficacy. Results Treatment of rats with lycopene emulgel (LE) topical application exhibited a significant reduction of wound closure of 95.3 and 88.9% and epithelisation within 21 days. Conclusion The formulation was found to be novel, safe, and effective in the functional recovery of wounds.