Abstract Background: Severe or moderate burns can be life-threatening, and being infected by multidrug resistant bacteria (MRSA strain) makes treating burns a significant issue. Objectives: To evaluate the healing effect of clove extract in improving burn wound healing infected with MRSA in experimentally immunocompromised rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty rats (200‐250 g) were experimentally immunocompromised with prednisone and azathioprine, and the burn (deep II-degree) was induced using heating bar end and directly infected with MRSA inoculum. All 30 rats were divided randomly into three groups ( n = 10); named as control negative (burn not infected), burns infected with MRSA and treated with clove extract 5%, and burns infected with MRSA and treated with silver sulfadiazine (SSD1%). The treatment was daily and locally for 14 days. Burn wound healing diameter, histopathology, and immunohistopathology examination were carried out at the end of days 7 and 14. Results: The topical delivery of clove extract gel into the burn skin showed significantly reducing burn diameter when compared with silver sulfadiazine-treated group and control group at P < 0.05. In addition, the microscopic examination of histological sections of burn skin in clove extract-treated group showed low infiltration of inflammatory cells in comparison with other groups. Also the immunohistopathological examination of local expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in clove extract and silver sulfadiazine-treated group showed a relative decrease in the expression of TNF-α. Conclusion: Clove extract can provide effective therapy for infected burn wound because it improves/immunosuppresses wound healing by exerting immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory effects.
Hashim et al. (Thu,) studied this question.