PURPOSE:To evaluate the effects of aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius) ointment on skin wound healing in rats. METHODS:Adult male rats (n=20) were divided into four groups of five animals each, as follows: G4, G7, G14 and G21, which corresponds to 4 th , 7 th , 14 th and 21 th days postoperatively. Each animal were made two incisions on the skin, including the subcutaneous tissue, in the right and left sides of thoracic region, separated by a distance of two inches. The right lesion was treated with base ointment (vaseline, lanolin); the left one was treated with base ointment containing 5% of aroeira oil. At the end of each experimental period the lesions were evaluated for the contraction degree. Then held the collection of fragments that were fixed in 10% formalin and processed for paraffin embedding. In the histological sections (5μm) was evaluated the morphology and quantified the collagen and blood vessels.The data obtained were submitted to ANOVA test complemented by Tukey-Kramer test (p<0.05). RESULTS:The contraction of the lesions was higher in wounds treated with aroeira oil than in controls at 7 th and 14 th days (p<0.01), whereas in the 21 st day all lesions were already completely healed. The morphology showed granulation tissue more developed, with fibroblasts more bulky and collagen fibers more arranged in the experimental group at 4 th , 7 th and 14 th days. The morphometry showed a significant increase in the quantification of collagen fibers in the experimental group at 7 th and 14 th days (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:The aroeira oil accelerates the healing process of wounds as a macroscopic, morphological and morphometrical analysis.

PURPOSE:To evaluate the effects of copaiba oil ointment (Copaifera langsdorffii) on dorsal skin flaps in rats. METHODS:Adult male rats (n=30) were distributed into three groups of ten animals each, as follows: GC -control; GCA -absolute control and GT -treated with copaiba ointment. The rats were subjected to dorsal cutaneous skin flap surgery and the animals from the GC and GT received post-operative treatment for eight consecutive days. The animals from the GCA group did not receive treatment while the animals from the GC group received daily topical treatment of ointment without the active ingredient and the animals from the GT group were daily treated with 10% copaiba oil ointment. At the end of each experimental period the lesions were evaluated according to the percentage of necrotic area. Then, fragments from cranial, median and caudal parts were fixed in Boüin's solution and processed for paraffin embedding. The morphology of histological sections (5μm) was evaluated and the number of leucocytes, fibroblasts and blood vessels was also analyzed. The data obtained were submitted to ANOVA test complemented by Tukey-Kramer test (p<0.05). RESULTS: The necrotic area was lower in the group treated with copaiba ointment when compared to the control groups (GCA>GC and GT), while the morphology showed larger granulation tissue with bulky fibroblasts and collagen fibers more arranged in the GT group. The morphometry showed a significant higher number of blood vessels in the median and caudal parts (GT>GCA and GC), leucocytes in the cranial part (GT>GC>GCA), and also fibroblasts in the median (GT and GC> GCA) and caudal parts (GT>GC and GCA) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:The copaiba oil ointment favors angiogenesis and accelerates the viability of random skin flaps in rats.

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Aroeira) leaves oil attenuatesinflammatory responses in cutaneous wound healing in mice 1 AbstractPurpose: To investigated the inflammatory, angiogenic and fibrogenic activities of the Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi leaves oil (STRO) on wound healing. Methods:The excisional wound healing model was used to evaluate the effects of STRO. The mice were divided into two groups: Control, subjected to vehicle solution (ointment lanolin/ vaseline base), or STRO-treated group, administered topically once a day for 3, 7 and 14 days post-excision. We evaluated the macroscopic wound closure rate; the inflammation was evaluated by leukocytes accumulation and cytokine levels in the wounds. The accumulation of neutrophil and macrophages in the wounds were determined by assaying myeloperoxidase and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase activities. The levels of TNF-α, CXCL-1 and CCL-2 in wound were evaluated by ELISA assay. Angiogenesis and collagen fibers deposition were evaluated histologically. Results:We observed that macroscopic wound closure rate was improved in wounds from STRO-group than Control-group. The wounds treated with STRO promoted a reduction in leucocyte accumulation and in pro-inflammatory cytokine. Moreover, STRO treatment increased significantly the number of blood vessels and collagen fibers deposition, as compared to control group. Conclusion: Topical application of STRO display anti-inflammatory and angiogenic effects, as well as improvement in collagen replacement, suggesting a putative use of this herb for the development of phytomedicines to treat inflammatory diseases, including wound healing.

PURPOSE:To evaluate wound contraction and the concentration of mast cells in skin wounds treated with 5% BPT essential oil-based ointment in rats. METHODS:Twenty rats, male, of adult age, were submitted to skin surgery on the right (RA) and left antimeres (LA) of the thoracic region. They were divided into two groups: control (RA -wounds receiving daily topical application of vaseline and lanolin) and treated (LA -wounds treated daily with the topical ointment). The skin region with wounds were collected at days 4, 7, 14 and 21 after surgery.Those were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and later processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were obtained and stained by H.E for histopathology analysis. The degree of epithelial contraction was measured and mast cell concentration were also evaluated. RESULTS:The treated group showed higher mast cell concentrations (p<0.05) associated with increased contraction at day 7 and 14 respectively. CONCLUSION:Ointment containing 5% Brazilian pepper tree oil increases mast cell concentration and promotes skin wound contraction in rats.

Mimosoideae) em caprinos, administraram-se as favas dessa planta a oito caprinos, por via oral forçada em doses úni-cas e a outros dois caprinos, em doses fracionadas. A menor dose que causou sinais clínicos e morte foi a de 10g/kg. Doses de 20g/kg e 40g/kg causaram sinais acentuados e doses únicas de 5g/kg não provocaram sinais. Doses fracionadas de 5g/kg durante quatro dias, totalizando 20g/kg provocaram sinais acentuados e morte. Em ambos os grupos, os primeiros sinais de intoxicação foram observados a partir do primeiro dia de experimento e a evolução variou de 4-25 dias. A doença caracterizou-se principalmente por alterações digestórias e nervosas que consistiram em anorexia, desidratação, hipomotilidade e atonia ruminal, timpanismo, gemidos constantes, dor à percussão abdominal, fezes com muco, ranger de dentes, apatia, ataxia, dismetria, tremores de cabeça, tremores musculares, fraqueza com o andar cambaleante e In order to confirm the susceptibility of goats to the poisoning by Stryphnodendron fissuratum Mart. (Leg. Mimosoideae) and to characterize the clinical disease, the pods of the plant were given orally to each of eight young goats and in fractioned doses to other two. The lowest lethal dose was 10g/kg. The same dose was the lowest that induced disease. Doses of 20g/kg and 40g/kg caused pronounced clinical signs and doses of 5g/kg did not caused signs. Fractioned doses of 5g/kg during four days also caused pronounced signs. In each groups the first signs of poisoning were observed from the first day of experiments and the changes ranged from 4-25 days. The disease was characterized mainly by digestive and nervous disorders. Clinical signs were partial to complete anorexia, dehydration, decrease in ruminal activity up to atonia, tympanism, constant vocalizations, grinding of the teeth pain up on abdominal palpation, apathy, ataxia, depression, dysmetria, head and muscle tremors, weakness, difficulty in rising, sternal or lateral recumbency and death. Some goats presented extense hair loss in the skin of the dorsum; one goat presented liquid and black fetid feces. Other signs included loss of ruminal fluid during rumination, drooling, serous nasal and ocular discharges. Liver and kidney function tests had resulted in slight changes. AST serum levels were slightly increased and creatine phosphokinase levels were highly increased. These changes can associated to the effects of triterpenic saponins contained in the S. fissuratum pods. Aspectos clínicos da intoxicação experimental pelas favas deINDEX TERMS: Experimental plant poisoning, triterpenic saponins, Stryphnodendron fissuratum, goats.