Effectiveness of Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) Leaf Extract Gel on Dorsal Incised Wound Healing in Male Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) contains constituents with potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity. This study evaluated peppermint leaf extract gels at 5%, 10%, and 15% for dorsal incised wound healing in male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus). A laboratory pretest–posttest control group design used 30 rats, with five animals in each of six groups. K1 was the normal control with an induced wound and no topical treatment; K2 received the gel base, K3 received Betadine Gel, and K4–K6 received the extract gels. The Federer calculation indicated a minimum of 24 animals. All groups had an initial incision length of 20 mm, and macroscopic healing was recorded on days 3, 7, 10, 13, and 14. Omnibus tests showed overall group differences on days 3, 7, 10, and 13 (p < 0.001). The 15% gel had the highest mean healing among the extract groups before day 14, reaching 64.20% on day 10 and 77.90% on day 13; Betadine Gel reached 71.60% and 78.30%, respectively. The untreated control reached 26.10% and 46.90%. None of the nonparametric pairwise comparisons met the Bonferroni threshold of 0.00333; the day-13 Betadine Gel versus 15% peppermint comparison had an exact p value of 0.095. All groups reached 100% macroscopic closure on day 14. The 15% preparation warrants further preclinical investigation, but equivalence to Betadine Gel and an optimal concentration were not established.