To evaluate the wound healing efficacy of the methanolic extract of the peel extract of Citrus sinensis. The wound healing activity of C. sinensis (5% and 10% w/w) on Wistar albino rats were studied using three wound models viz., excision, incision and dead space. The study included breaking strength in incision model, granulation tissue dry weight, breaking strength and collagen content in dead space wound model, percentage of wound contraction and period of epithelialization in excision wound model. The granulation tissue formed on days 4, 8, 12 and 16 (postwound) was used to estimate total collagen, hexosamine, protein, DNA and uronic acid. The tissues were subjected to histological studies and the tissue regeneration was evaluated. Data analysis was done using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The biochemical and histological studies showed that collagen synthesis was increased at the wound site. There was a concomitant increase in total protein and DNA suggesting increased cellular proliferation. The extract treated wounds were found to heal much faster than the controls (p<0.001), the rate of wound contraction was significantly (p<0.001) increased compared to control wounds. Wet and dry granulation tissue weights in a dead space wound model increased significantly (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in wound closure rate, tensile strength, dry granuloma weight, wet granuloma weight and decrease in epithelization period in C. sinesis treated group as compared to control and standard drug-treated groups. The methanolic extract of C. sinensis had greater wound –healing activity than the nitrofurazone ointment.
