Evaluation of the Effects of Local Application of Thyme Honey in Open Cutaneous Wound Healing

BACKGROUND: Clinicians have been searching for ways to obtain “super normal” wound healing. Honey is a traditional remedy for the treatment of infected wounds. We aimed to evaluate the wound contraction and antibacterial properties of locally produced Thyme honey on managing full-thickness wounds in vivo. METHODS: This experimental study was conducted in 2015, in Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran on 54 adult male Wistar rats weighing 200–250 gr, and ages of 3–4 months. A square 1.5*1.5 wound was made on the back of the neck. The rats were divided into control and two experimental groups. Additionally, the control and experimental groups were separated into three subgroups corresponding to 4, 7, and 14 d of study. The control group did not receive any treatment. For histological studies, samples were taken from the wound and adjacent skin. This tissue was examined using histological staining (H&E). Wound surface and wound healing were evaluated. Data were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test and (P<0.05) was significant. RESULTS: The macroscopic and microscopic evaluations showed that the percentage of wound healing on different days in the control and experimental groups were significant (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Using honey twice a day on open wounds will accelerate the healing process.