NATURAL RUBBER - PROPOLIS MEMBRANE IMPROVES WOUND HEALING IN SECOND-DEGREE BURNING MODEL.

Our aim was to evaluate effects of natural rubber membrane (NR) associated with aqueous propolis extract (P) on the wound healing in rats burn model. The membranes were characterized for wettability and pore presence after the membrane preparation by casting the liquid solution in Petri dishes, at different temperatures (27 and 60 °C). Male Wistar rats were divided into treatment groups (n = 5 per group: control without treatment, silver sulfadiazine, NR, NRP) initiated immediately after second-degree burn and maintained during 10 days. The NRP membranes presented hydrophilic and porous characteristics. Macroscopic analysis from lesions showed that all groups presented crust formation. At the end of the experiment, the lesions treated with NRP membranes prepared at 60 °C had a higher regression percentage indicating a faster wound healing. The biopsies showed that the treatment with the NRP membranes induced a wound healing with collagen production, angiogenesis, reepithelization, and a small number of inflammatory cells, characterized by the crust detachment and the epithelium formation. In conclusion, NRP membranes are promising as a dressing for the burns treatment since were able to accelerate the healing process and tissue repair without the curative switch.