The effect of tea tree oil on wound healing in diabetic rats

Abstract

Aim This study was conducted as a randomised controlled study to determine the effect of tea tree oil on acute wound healing. Methods Rats were divided randomly into two groups, non-diabetic and `diabetic'; rats in the diabetic group were made diabetic by intraperitoneal streptozotocin induction at 50 mg/kg. Each group was then subdivided into sunflower oil, tea tree oil and saline (0.9% NaCl) groups. After incisional wound formation, rats were wound-dressed according to their treatment group every day for 15 days. On day 3, 7 and 15 following the wound formation, 0.5cmx0.5cm full thickness tissue samples were taken and examined histopathologically. Results On day 3, the epithelisation and inflammatory cell density of the non-diabetic tea tree oil group was found to be statistically significantly higher than the diabetic saline group. There was a statistical difference in favour of the non-diabetic tea tree oil group in terms of procollagen and mature collagen density. In addition, the non-diabetic tea tree oil group had a statistically higher angiogenesis amount than the diabetic and non-diabetic saline and the diabetic sunflower oil groups on day 15 (p<0.05). Conclusions It has been determined that tea tree oil has an accelerating effect on wound healing and is an alternative method that can be used in wound dressing.