Preclinical Evaluation of Toba Frankincense Hydrogel for Burn Wound Healing: Insight from Rabbit Model

Toba Frankincense (Styrax sumatranus) is a traditional herbal plant of Indonesia which has been used to cure various diseases since ancient times. Cinnamic acid is one of the chemical ingredients in the sap of frankincense. This compound has various biological activities including antibacterial, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of 0,4% Toba Frankincense ethanol extract hydrogel on burn wound healing. This study used white rabbits from the New Zealand strain that had been acclimated for seven days. The rabbit was generated with the second degree burn injury used iron metal with a 1.5 cm diameter that had been heated to 100°C and inserted it into rabbit's back for 5 seconds. Each wound applied with 0,4% Toba Frankincense ethanol extract received a 14-day application of 0.4% Toba Frankincense hydrogel with dependent observations on the size of the burn wound. The burn wound surface analysis showed a significant decrease in the size area of the burn wound from day 3 to day 14 (p<0.001). The mean value of the burn wound size area on day three was 1.79 cm (range: 2.80-1.44 cm), which gradually decreased to 1.33 cm (range: 2.22-0.90 cm) on day five. After seven days, it measured 1.31 cm (range: 2.14-0.99 cm), and reached its smallest size on the fourteenth day with a mean value of 0.48 cm (range: 1.21-0.25 cm). The use of 0.4% Toba frankincense ethanol extract hydrogel on burn wounds shows reliable results and can be considered as an option for treating burns.