Effect of Lawsonia inermis (Henna) on wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats: A pilot study

Leaves of Lawsonia inermis have long been used for several purposes in traditional herbal medicine. This report is to evaluate the effect of Lawsonia inermis on the wound healing in rats. Eight adult male rats were used. Animals have been anesthetized. A wound was created on the dorsal nape of the neck. Group 1 were left without treatment. Group 2 treated with 10% Iodine and vehicle. Group 3 and 4 were treated with a low dose and high dose of Henna respectively for 15 days. On the 1 ,5,10 and 15, the wound area of each animal was measured. Wound contraction was calculated. On the day 15, tissue samples were taken from the wound and examined by a histopathologist. At day 15, the average wound size decreased in group 1 and group 2 to 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm respectively and in group 3 and group 4 to 0 and 2.5 mm respectively. Histological results revealed that low dose and high dose produce better wound healing if compared with the control positive and control negative. The result of this pilot study has revealed that Henna extract leaves have remarkable effects on wound healing and warrents further studies.