Background: Gastrorraphy, isolated or associated with the use of biological adhesives, was throughout the history of surgery the usual way to promote healing in gastric lesions and the use of herbal medicine has been increasingly more employed.
Aim: To evaluate the wound healing in the stomach of rats with the use of the hydroalcoholic extract of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (aroeira).
Methods: Sixty rats, adult males, were divided into two groups: aroeira group and control group. Each one was subdivided into four subgroups of 15 animals (test groups). Each subdivided subgroup was also subdivided into three subgroups of five rats (deaths periods of 7, 14 and 21 days). All animals underwent the same surgical procedure (injury and stomach suture); animals in the aroeira group received daily dose of 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract via gavage while the control group received isotonic saline solution. Parameters evaluated were: macroscopic and microscopic changes, test for resistance to insufflation of atmospheric air and test for tensile strength.
Results: All animals had good healing of the abdominal wall and gastrorraphies without infection and dehiscence. Both groups had adhesions to the gastrorraphies surfaces with neighboring organs. The resistance test by insufflation of atmospheric air and tensile strength showed higher average of pressure on the 7th day and breaking strength in the time periods for the aroeira group. The intensity of chronic inflammation revealed statistically significant differences in the variables fibroblast proliferation and collagen.
Conclusion: The use of hydroalcoholic extract of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi accelerated the stomach healing in rats.