Efficacy of Quercetin on Rat Eyelid Wound Healing, A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Study

It is known that quercetin is useful in the treatment of pressure wounds due to its ability to reduce oxygen radicals, but its effect on eyelid wound healing is unclear. In this study, forty male Wistar albino rats weighing 250-300 grams were used to investigate the effect of quercetin on eyelid wound healing. Four groups were created: control group, sham group, incision wound group, and suture + quercetin group. Full-thickness skin excision was performed through a 3-5 mm incision in the superior palpebrae to create a wound. On the 1 third and seventh days, the rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture for biochemical measurement and tissue samples for histopathological examination from the palpebrae. 2 Inflammatory cells in the quercetin group were significantly lower on day 3 (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Blood levels of IL-1 and TNF-α were significantly lower in the quercetin group compared to other groups (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Also, IL-6 was found to be significantly lower on day 7 in the quercetin group compared to other groups (<i>P</i> < 0.05). The quercetin group was as effective as the sham group in terms of collagen formation on day 3, and the hydroxyproline value was significantly higher. Total oxidant status levels were lower in the quercetin group than in the sham group (<i>P</i> = 0.005). In conclusion, quercetin exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, along with higher collagen accumulation in the eyelid compared to other groups. Our results suggest that quercetin could be a potential therapeutic agent that accelerates wound healing and reduces scar formation in the eyelid.