Effectiveness of gel formulation of capa leaf (Blumea balsamifera L.) on wound healing in white rats

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The capa plant (Blumea balsamifera L.) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine in many parts of the world, including South Aceh, Indonesia. It is generally used for wound healing due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, it is only available as extract or oil, and no gel formulation exists so far. Thus, in this study, we formulated the extract into a pharmaceutical gel and investigated its effectiveness in healing incision wounds in white rats (Rattus norvegicus). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected B. balsamifera leaf samples from Gunongpulo village, South Aceh, Indonesia. We then produced leaf extract through maceration and formulated the extract into a gel using Carbopol 940, methylparaben, triethanolamine, and propylene glycol. We applied the gel to incision wounds in white rats for 7 and 14 days. We then monitored wound healing based on wound length, histology of skin tissues, and levels of cytokine 2 (interleukin-2 [IL-2]). RESULTS: The gel formulation K3 (10% B. balsamifera leaf extract) was the most effective, followed by the gel formulations K2 (5% B. balsamifera leaf extract) and K4 (1% gentamicin ointment, positive control). K3 reduced wound length by 14 mm on day 7 and 29 mm on day 14. Histological analysis showed that fibroblast growth and angiogenesis were most significant in the K3-treated group, exceeding that of the positive control group. The K3-treated group also had the highest IL-2 levels, with an average of 107.7767 ng/L on day 7 and 119.1900 ng/L on day 14. CONCLUSION: The 10% B. balsamifera leaf gel effectively reduced wound length, increased fibroblast cell growth and angiogenesis, and IL-2 levels, accelerating wound healing.