Effects of Watercress Oil on the Thermal and Chemical Burn Injuries in Rabbits

This study was conducted to reveal the effect of watercress oil on skin burns in rabbits. Twenty-four male rabbits were used in this study and divided into eight groups. Four groups were burned by concentrated hydrochloric acid and the others by a hot glass rod (80°C) for three times. These groups were divided into two controls: two treated by the antibiotic Baneocin (Bacitracin zinc 250 IU and Neomycin 5000 IU); two treated by watercress oil and two treated by watercress and Nigella sativa oils, 1:1). The epithilialization, the contracting ability of wounds, the closure time and the time necessary for hair to grow were recorded in all groups. A histological examination was processed to test the peripheries of wounds; their thickness, their growth, the hair follicle repairing and the inflammatory cell response. Watercress acted as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and initiated the epithelialization from the peripheries of the wounds. The contracting ability and closure time in both antibiotic and watercress groups were significantly different from those of controls. It was concluded that watercress oil could be an effective therapy in healing skin burns in rabbits, whatever the cause of the burn may be. However, watercress oil and Nigella sativa oils (1:1) had no effect on healing these types of burns under these circumstances.