INTRODUCTION: Phytotherapy is one of the research branches in the healing process of surgical wounds. PURPOSE: To analyze the morphological aspects of the healing process occurring in open skin lesions in rats under administration of raw extract from Jatropha Gossypiifolia L. METHOD: Sixty Wistar rats were utilized. A 2cm wound in diameter was done in each animal at the dorsal region. The animals were divided into two groups, each one consisting of 30 animals. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups of ten. They were analyzed in the 7th, 14th and 21st post-operative day. The two groups were compared through macroscopic analysis using digital planigraphy and histological examination. The microscopic parameters considered were the vascular proliferation, polymorph and mononuclear cells, fibroblastic proliferation, collagen and epithelium formation. RESULTS: Epitelization occurred in a same amount in all animals. There was no chronic inflamation on 21st day in the Jatropha group and also no difference in polimorphonuclear cells between the groups. The fibroblastic reaction was better on the 7th day in the Jatropha group and equal in the remaining ones. Colagenization was greater on 7th and 14th days in Jatropha and better re-epitelization occurred in the same group in the 7th day. CONCLUSION: Although with hystologic aspects favoring the Jatropha, no significant differences concerning to the macroscopic and microscopic aspects were observed among the skin wounds receiving raw extract Jatropha and those that received no treatment in the final evaluation.
Phythotherapy; Wound Healing; Rats; Jatropha
