Therapeutic effects of Glycyrrhiza glabra aqueous extract ointment on cutaneous wound healing in Sprague Dawley male rats

Glycyrrhiza glabra has been reported to have wide applications in the treatment of many human diseases. However, its traditional use in the treatment of wounds has not been validated by any scientific study. Also, its safety in the management of cutaneous wound conditions requires attention. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the wound healing potential of G. glabra aqueous extract ointment. In vivo design, 120 Sprague Dawley male rats were used. After creating the cutaneous wound, the animals were randomly divided into four groups: untreated control, treatment with Eucerin ointment, treatment with 3% tetracycline ointment, treatment with 3% G. glabra aqueous extract ointment (3 g of G. glabra aqueous extract + 97-g base ointment). At days 10, 20, and 30 after creating the wound, for histopathological and biochemical analysis of the cutaneous wound healing trend, a section was prepared from all dermal thicknesses. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan post hoc test of SPSS-22 software. At days 10, 20, and 30, G. glabra aqueous extract ointment could significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decrease the level of the wound area, total cell, macrophage, lymphocyte, and neutrophil, and enhance the level of wound contracture, fibrocyte, hexuronic acid, and hydroxyproline as compared with the basal ointment and control groups. In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that the aqueous extracts of G. glabra have properties that render them capable of promoting accelerated wound-healing activity compared with other groups.