Effects of an ashed (MEND) powder on deep wound healing: a preliminary study in guinea pigs

This case control experimental study was designed to investigate the effects of an ashed powder (code-named MEND) on deep wound healing. A total of twelve guinea pigs (six in the experimental group and six in the control group) were used for the study. Square-shaped cutaneous wounds measuring approximately 2.5cmx2.5cm and extending to the fascia covering the back muscles were induced in the lumbar regions of the twelve guinea pigs. One gram of MEND was applied daily to the wound of each of the six animals in the experimental group. Nothing was applied to the wounds of the six animals in the control group. All 12 wounds were traced on transparent paper daily for 20 days. Later on, wound areas were obtained with the aid of a graph paper by counting the number of square millimetres within the traced areas. The time it took for the wounds to be covered by connective tissue matrix and the rate of reduction of wound areas were determined. By day 5 of the experiment, each experimental wound was covered by a thick hard layer of connective tissue. The wound area measurements showed a significant difference between the two groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p = 0.000126 at p = 0.05). This difference was more marked in the collagen synthesis phase of deep wound healing. It was concluded that since deep wounds heal in a similar way to chronic skin ulcers, it would appear that the ashed compound used in this study may have a role in the management of chronic skin ulcers. However, it needs to be analysed in detail and more experiments done before any extrapolations of its effects on human wounds can be made.