Antioxidant and wound healing effects of comfrey <i>(Symphytum officinale)</i>

This study explored the effects of comfrey (Symphytum officinale) on treating third-degree burns in a rat model, demonstrating promising results. A hot iron created standardized burns, after which three groups of rats received different treatments: no treatment (control), vaseline, or a 20% comfrey ointment. Histopathological assessments at the 7 days and 14 days marks showed accelerated healing in the comfrey-treated group compared to the control, indicating comfrey's potential for enhancing wound recovery. Additionally, comfrey's antioxidant capacity was evaluated using assays such as Fe3+ and Cu2+ reducing power and free radical scavenging activities (DPPH center dot and ABTS center dot(+) assays). The IC50 values for DPPH center dot scavenging were 69.30 pg.mL(-1) (water extract) and 46.20 mu g.mL(-1), while for ABTS center dot(+) scavenging they were 77.00 pg.mL(-1) and 69.30 pg.mL(-1) (ethanol extract). These results confirm that comfrey exhibits significant antioxidant activity, likely contributing to its wound-healing properties. Overall, this study suggests comfrey as a safe traditional treatment option for burn healing, with its benefits likely stemmingfrom its antioxidant activity. The results indicate this combination is a safe traditional medicine for clinical applications at proper doses.

Journal

REVISTA CIENTIFICA-FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS VETERINARIAS

Year

2025

Volume

35

Issue

1

ISSN

0798-2259

DOI

10.52973/rcfcv-e35566

WoS UID

WOS:001483550500011