Effect of aloe cream versus silver sulfadiazine for healing burn wounds in rats

The management of burn injury remains a problem and it is the major cause of death and disability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Aloe vera cream in the treatment of thermal burn wounds and to compare these results with silver sulfadiazine in rats. Animals were divided into four groups. Animals were administered topical cream (Aloe vera powdered gel 0.5% and silver sulfadiazine) at 24 h of burn injury induced by hot water. On special days, according to study protocol, wound size was determined and skin sample histopathology performed in animal groups administered topical therapies. On day 25, the mean wound size was 5.5, 4, 0.78 and 4.1 cm2 in control, base, aloe and silver group, respectively. The wound size was significantly smaller in aloe group as compared with other groups. Histologic comparison showed aloe to increase reepithelialization in burn wounds significantly as compared with other cream-treated wounds. The results of this study showed aloe cream to significantly increase reepithelialization in burn wounds as compared with silver sulfadiazine.