The aim of this study is to explore the effect of topical application of Aloe vera on skin wound healing. Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150–200 grams were divided into four groups. All groups were anesthetized, shaved, and exposed to round full-thickness punch biopsy on the back: group I (control); group II (treated with 1% Aloe vera cream); group III (treated with 2% Aloe vera cream); and group IV (treated with madecassol®). The treatments were given once a day. Macroscopic and microscopic examination were observed at 5, 10, and 15 days after skin biopsy. Skin specimens were prepared for histopathological study using H&E stain and IHC stain against CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ lymphocytes. All the data were analyzed using SPSS16. The result showed that topical application of 1% and 2% Aloe vera cream significantly reduced the percentage of the wound, leucocytes infiltration, angiogenesis, and expression of CD8⁺ lymphocytes and increased the epidermal thickness and the expression of CD4⁺ lymphocytes (p ≤ 0,05). There was no significant difference in the number of fibroblasts in all groups. Topical application of 1% and 2% Aloe vera cream has wound healing potential via their ability to increase the ratio of CD4⁺/CD8⁺ lymphocytes in the wound area.

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem caused by extensive utilization of antibiotics that promote gene resistant among bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus. This study aimed to analyze the potential effects of celery (Apium graveolens) extract as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods: Celery was extracted and tested against a MRSA isolate in vitro. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against MRSA for the celery extract (CE) was determined to be 0.1% and it was formulated into a cream. A total of 30 female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups: Group 1, negative control; Group 2, positive control; Group 3, treated with 0.05% CE cream; Group 4, 0.1% CE cream; and Group 5, 0.2% CE cream. All animals in the groups were exposed to a full-thickness skin biopsy on the dorsal portion, and they were infected with 30 μL of 105 colony-forming units of the MRSA isolate. The treatment was administered twice a day for 7 days. The skin samples were collected on days 3 and 7 after the treatment. The skin tissue was examined histologically using hematoxylin and eosin, Gram staining, and immunohistochemistry against cytokeratin (CK)-17. Results: Results showed that 0.2% of CE cream was the best treatment for wounds infected with MRSA. CE (0.2%) cream increased skin reepithelialization, fibroblast proliferation, and CK-17 expression; it also decreased the percentage of wound area, inflammatory cell infiltration, and bacterial colonization in skin wound tissue compared to the other treatments (p≤0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that celery could be utilized as an alternative herbal therapy against MRSA-associated skin infections.

The tropical area has a lot of herbal medicines such as Aloe vera (AV), Ananas comosus (AC), and Sansevieria masoniana (SM). All the three have a unique potential effect as an antibacterial and wound-healing promoter. The aim of this study is to explore the role of AV, AC, and SM on the skin wound infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Forty-five adult female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 250–300 grams were divided into 5 groups. All the groups were exposed to two round full-thickness punch biopsy and infected with MRSA. The group C was the control group/untreated; group BC was treated with base cream/without extract; group AV was treated with 75% AV cream; group AC was treated with 75% AC cream, and group SM was treated with 75% SM cream. The wounds were observed on days 5, 10, and 15. The healing of skin wounds was measured by a percentage of closure, skin tensile strength, and histopathology. The result showed that AV, AC, and SM have a similar potential effect on healing in the wound that was infected with MRSA compared to the groups C and BC (P<0.05). It shows that all the three herbal formulations can be used as the alternative therapy to the wound infected with MRSA.

Background and Aim: One of the complications of diabetes mellitus is diabetic ulcer. Diabetic ulcer is commonly infected by infectious agents, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of alcoholic extracts of Aloe vera, Apium graveolens, and Sauropus androgynus on promoting wound healing in a diabetic wound infected with MRSA. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats (6 months old, weighing 250-300 g) were injected with 65 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin to induce diabetes. On day 7, the backs of the rats were shaved, and two circular wounds (4 mm in diameter) were created on their back, which were infected with MRSA. The rats were divided into six groups: Group I = control, Group II = treated with cream base without extract, Group III = treated with 2% A. vera cream, Group IV = treated with 2% A. graveolens cream, Group V = treated with 2% S. androgynus cream, and Group VI = treated with 2% A. vera + 2% A. graveolens + 2% S. androgynus cream. The wounds were treated twice a day for 14 days. The data were collected on days 7 and 14. Results: The results showed that all three herbal extracts and their combination decreased wound area and percentage of the wound, increased tensile strength of skin, collagen deposition, vascular endothelial growth factor expression, and skin thickness, and depressed the C-reactive protein profile and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. Conclusion: A. vera, A. graveolens, and S. androgynus creams can be used as herbal therapies against diabetic wounds infected with MRSA, both as a single and combination treatment.

Background and Aim: Theileriosis is a parasitic disease caused by the hemoprotozoan Theileria spp. The main transmission route of this disease is through tick vector bite. Theileriosis causes economic losses in livestock such as Bali cattle. This study aims to analyze the prevalence of theileriosis and its correlation with the hematological profile of Bali cattle from the subdistrict of Muara Bulian, Batang Hari, Jambi, Indonesia. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four blood samples were collected through jugular vein of Bali cattle. The presence of Theileria spp. was determined using blood smear. Routine blood tests and double-staining immunohistochemistry against CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were conducted on all blood samples. Results: A total of 34.04% of the samples were infected by Theileria spp. Theileriosis affected only hemoglobin level (p0.05). However, it also decreased CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p<0.05), besides increasing CD8+ (p<0.05). Conclusion: Theileriosis does not change the hematological profile of Bali cattle except for the hemoglobin levels. Moreover, it promotes T-cell depletion.