Synergetic Effects of Sericin and Turmeric on Burn Wound Healing in Mice

Abstract Burn wounds are one of the most hazardous issues, globally. Silkworm produces a protein called sericin. Sericin assists in wound healing by facilitating the proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, while turmeric is potentially helpful in wound healing because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infectious activities. The current study aimed to investigate the synergetic and individual effects of turmeric, sericin, and their nanoparticles on burn wounds in mice. The female mice having age of 2 months (each weighing 29-30 g) were arbitrarily distributed in 7 groups. Five mice were added to each group. Burn wounds were induced in mice by using a hot metal rod. Burn wounds were evaluated histologically and morphologically. Turmeric nanoparticles substantially improved the wound contraction area as compared to the negative control group and other treatment groups. The serum level of glutathione (4.9 ± 0.1 µmol/L), catalase (6.0 ± 0.2 mmol/mL), glutathione peroxidase (183.4 ± 5.1 U/L), and superoxide dismutase (194.6 ± 5.1 U/mL) was significantly increased in the turmeric nanoparticles (TNPs) group as compared to the negative control (2.8 ± 0.1 µmol/L, 3.5 ± 0.1 mmol/mL, 87.8 ± 3.0 U/L, and 92.0 ± 4.8 U/mL respectively). The minimum levels of malondialdehyde (3.8 ± 0.2 mmol/L) were noticed in the TNPs group contrary to the negative control (7.4 ± 0.2 mmol/L). The restoration of the epidermis was also observed to be faster in the TNPs group as compared to all other treatment groups. The histopathological analysis also demonstrated the effectiveness of turmeric, sericin, and their nanoparticles. In conclusion, turmeric, sericin, and their nanoparticles are effective in improving the healing process of burn wounds, but TNPs showed the most effective results as compared to all other treatment groups.