Gel aloe vera reduces MMP-9 in diabetic wounds

Gel aloe vera (GAV) is a good candidate for wound treatment for fisheries, since it is cheap, could be grown in coastal areas, and could reduce inflammation, infection and improve reepithelialization in diabetic wound. However, the effect of GAV on reducing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is still unknown. High level of MMP-9 is one of the reasons why diabetic wounds frequently fail to heal. Abundant level of MMP-9 will cause degradation of collagen formation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of GAV on reducing MMP-9. The induction of diabetes was conducted by using Alloxan Monohydrate. The rats were divided into two groups, GAV group, and control group. The wound appearance, exudate, intensity of fibroblast, and intensity of MMP-9 were compared. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the difference in the intensity of positive cells for MMP-9. The study showed that the wound appearance in the GAV group was smaller compared with control group. In the GAV group, the intensity of positive cells for MMP-9 was significantly lower than in the control group. This study showed that GAV could reduce MMP-9, and therefore GAV could be recommended for wound treatment for patients with diabetic wound.