This study quantitatively assessed the topical effects of
Meshushit, a new herbal compound, on the healing process of experimental deep partial skin thickness
burns over 27 days. To symmetrical circular
burns were inflicted on the back of 15 animals by
aluminium templates. The
Meshushit and its control vehicle containing 0.1 per cent
gentamycin or the control vehicle plus
antibiotic alone, were applied topically to randomly selected
burns at equal time intervals. Epithelialization and contraction were assessed on postburn days 6, 10, 15, 18, 22 and 27 using a computerized planimeter. The newly formed granulation tissue was assessed histologically on postburn day 27, while the hair follicles were counted in the same sections. Student's t test was used to differentiate the rates of contraction and epithelialization; hair follicle counts and the thickness of the newly formed granulation tissue. None of the animals died during the experiment. The epithelialization and contraction rates did not differ significantly between the test groups. The
Meshushit-treated
wounds showed a significantly thicker granulation tissue layer as compared to its control (828.72 +/- 46.39 microns vs. 540.78 +/- 37.81 microns, P less than 0.01). The count of hair follicles was significantly higher in the
Meshushit-treated
burns (23.38 +/- 1.84 vs. 3.76 +/- 0.35, P less than 0.001). It is concluded that the herbal
Meshushit ointment enhanced the newly formed granulation tissue and preserved better the hair follicles in the present
burn wound model. It is suggested that these findings are due to the preservation of the dermal microcirculation.