Efektivitas Gel Ekstrak Daun Capa (Blumea balsamifera L.) pada Berbagai Konsentrasi terhadap Penyembuhan Luka Insisi pada Tikus Putih (Rattus norvegicus) Galur Wistar

Abstract

Incision wounds are acute wounds whose healing can be delayed by infection and prolonged inflammation. Capa leaves (Blumea balsamifera L.) have traditionally been used by the people of South Aceh to treat wounds, but scientific evidence on their effectiveness in gel form and on the most effective concentration remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of capa leaf extract gel on incision wound healing and to determine the most effective concentration based on macroscopic evaluation of wound length. This laboratory experimental study, using a one-factor completely randomised design, involved 30 male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) randomly allocated to five groups (n = 6): K0 (gel base), K1, K2, and K3 (2.5%, 5%, and 10% ethanolic capa leaf extract gel), and K4 (1% gentamicin ointment). All animals received a 3-cm dorsal incision extending to the subcutaneous tissue, and 100 mg of the test preparation was applied twice daily. Wound length was measured daily with a caliper. By design, three animals per group were observed until day 7 and then terminated for tissue sampling, while the remaining three were observed until day 14. Data were analysed descriptively (mean ± standard deviation and percentage of wound shrinkage) and with the Kruskal–Wallis test. On day 7, the mean wound length in K2 (1.80 ± 0.19 cm) and K3 (1.82 ± 0.16 cm) was shorter than in K0 (2.12 ± 0.19 cm), K1 (2.15 ± 0.27 cm), and K4 (2.07 ± 0.28 cm) (Kruskal–Wallis p = 0.020), but no pairwise comparison remained significant after Bonferroni correction. On day 14 (n = 3 per group), the mean wound length in K2 was 0.07 ± 0.12 cm (97.8% shrinkage), followed by K1 (0.50 ± 0.44 cm), K3 (0.80 ± 0.70 cm), K0 (1.03 ± 0.50 cm), and K4 (1.37 ± 0.49 cm); this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.108). Complete closure occurred in two of three K2 animals and in one animal each in K1 and K3, all on day 14. The 5% capa leaf extract gel showed a tendency towards the fastest wound healing among the groups tested, but this finding is preliminary and does not establish superiority over the gel base or 1% gentamicin ointment. Further studies with larger numbers of animals, assessment of inflammatory signs, histological examination, and measurement of interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels are needed to confirm these findings.