Topical Centella asiatica gel enhances tissue repair and attenuates inflammation in diabetic wounds: an experimental study in male Wistar rats.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of topical Centella asiatica extract gel on early healing of diabetic excision wounds.

METHODS

A randomised, post-test-only in vivo experiment included 28 male Wistar rats with nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced diabetes and dorsal excision wounds. Rats were assigned to base gel, 0.1% gentamicin, 10% C. asiatica gel, or 20% C. asiatica gel (n = 7 per group) for seven days. Epithelial thickness, fibroblast counts, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, inflammation score, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed on day eight. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance with post hoc testing and Holm adjustment.

RESULTS

Between-group differences were significant for epithelial thickness (p = 0.044), fibroblast counts (p = 0.020), CRP levels (p = 0.002), collagen deposition (p = 0.007), angiogenesis (p < 0.001), and inflammation score (p = 0.009), and all remained significant after Holm adjustment. The 10% C. asiatica gel group showed the highest epithelial thickness, fibroblast count, and collagen deposition, whereas the 20% C. asiatica gel group showed the lowest CRP level and inflammation score and the highest angiogenesis level.

CONCLUSION

Topical C. asiatica gel was associated with favourable changes in selected early histological repair and inflammatory parameters in diabetic excision wounds. The different patterns observed with the 10% and 20% formulations should be interpreted descriptively rather than as evidence of dose-response superiority.