Effectiveness of bitter melon extract in the treatment of ischemic wounds in rats
There is no consensus on the properties of an ideal dressing for treating wounds. The aim of this study was to investigate
the efficacy of dressings using topically administered bitter melon extract with olive oil, pure olive oil, nitrofurazone, and saline in the
healing of ischemic wounds. A sample group of 48 rats was used in the trial. Their wounds were treated with bitter melon extract, pure
olive oil, nitrofurazone, and saline. Data were collected between October 2014 and April 2015. The highest percentage (94.7%) of wound
healing was observed in the bitter melon extract group and the lowest percentage (86.3%) in the nitrofurazone group. At the end of the
21st day, macroscopic reepithelialization was observed in 9 wounds in the bitter melon extract group (75%), in 6 wounds in the pure
olive oil group (50%), and in only 3 wounds in the nitrofurazone and saline groups (25%). It can be concluded that dressing with a bitter
melon extract is more efficient in the treatment of wounds than using nitrofurazone or saline, and that dressing with olive oil accelerates
wound healing, although not as much as dressing with bitter melon extract.
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