Formulation and Evaluation of Marchantia paleacea Gel for Treating Second-Degree Burn Wounds in Rats.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objective:&lt;/b&gt; Second-degree burns can cause significant tissue damage, pain and infection risk, necessitating prompt and effective treatment strategies. Natural therapeutic agents with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are gaining attention for burn management. &lt;i&gt;Marchantia paleacea&lt;/i&gt;, a liverwort species, is known for such properties. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate &lt;i&gt;M. paleacea&lt;/i&gt; gel for its wound healing potential in second-degree burns. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; A gel was prepared using ethanol extracts of &lt;i&gt;M. paleacea&lt;/i&gt; at concentrations of 5, 10 and 15%, with Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) as the base. The formulations were evaluated for pH, viscosity, spreadability, homogeneity, stability and skin irritation. A 14-day &lt;i&gt;in vivo&lt;/i&gt; study was conducted on rats with second-degree burn wounds to assess healing. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and &lt;i&gt;post hoc&lt;/i&gt; comparisons, with significance level set at p<0.05. &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; All gel formulations showed good physical stability, pH values between 5.04 and 5.30, viscosity ranging from 2459.7 to 2991.5 cps and no irritation in volunteers. The 15% &lt;i&gt;M. paleacea&lt;/i&gt; gel demonstrated the most significant wound healing effect, reducing wound size to 0.12 cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;, increasing epithelial thickness to 387.67 μm and enhancing collagen deposition to 18.60 on day 14 (p<0.05). &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Marchantia paleacea&lt;/i&gt; gel, particularly at 15% concentration, exhibited significant burn healing effects, likely due to its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This formulation holds promise as a natural topical agent for second-degree burn treatment. Further clinical studies are recommended to validate its efficacy.