Lower Ratio of Collagen’s Fibre Type III/Type I and Higher Tensile Strength in Injured Rabbit’s Achilles Tendon Treated with Astaxanthin

Tendon injuries vary from minor to total tear that requires surgery. The mechanical disturbance is the most complication. Inflammatory process and formation of free radicals can worsen tendon healing. Astaxanthin can be used to help tendon healing. This study aims to prove ratio of collagen type III/type I was lower and the tensile strength was higher on the administration of astaxanthin. This study is an experimental research using post-test only control group design with rabbit as subject. A total of 32 research subjects which meet inclusion were randomly divided into treatment and control groups. The treatment group is the group that was given astaxanthin after Achilles tendon was sharply cut and sewn, while the control group was not given astaxanthin. Statistical analysis using independent t-test found significant difference between treatment and control groups. The ratio of collagen type III/type I of the rabbit Achilles tendon which receive treatment of astaxanthin is smaller than the untreated group p = 0.000 (p<0.05). The tensile strength is greater in treatment group than the nontreated group with p = 0.044 (p<0.05). The result showed that the ratio of collagen type III/type I was lower when treated with astaxanthin thus can help improve the tensile strength.