Comparison of topical application of Mummify and Phenytoin cream on skin wound healing in rat

Background and Objective: Mummify is a semisolid material, which comes out from fissures of caves and contains hydrocarbons, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur. This material has a specific position among people of Jiroft town as a healing agent of skin wounds. The objective of this study was to determine the local effect of mummify as a topical application on skin wound healing and its comparison with phenytoin cream. Methods: This experimental study was performed on three groups of male rats. After anesthesing them, 3 square cm diameter skin lesion on the back of each of them was made. Then, the mummify solution (18.3 g/dl) and phenytoin cream (1%) were used locally on mummify and phenytoin groups. The control group did not receive any drug. Surface of the lesion and percentage of wound healing were measured in the days 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22 and the time of complete healing was determined. Furthermore, the antibacterial effect of some concentrations of mummify in culture was studied. Findings: The surface of wound among mummify group in comparison to phenytoin and control groups, and also in phenytoin group in comparison to control group in the 4 day was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The surface of wound between mummify and control groups at 10th day and between phenytoin and mummify groups at 13th day had a significant difference (P<0.05). In the day of 10, percentage of wound healing for mummify and phenytoin groups were about 20% and in the day of 13 was 30% more than the control group (P<0.05). The time for complete wound healing in mummify and phenytoin groups were 5.4 and 4.4 days less than the control group, respectively (P