The effect of astaxanthin gel and zeaxanthin combination on wound healing in diabetic rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterised by uncontrolled increases in glucose levels in the blood due to a decrease in insulin function. Diabetic ulcers are complications that can arise from diabetes mellitus because of peripheral artery disease or complications in neuropathy. Astaxanthin and zeaxanthin are natural carotenoids and contain tremendously powerful antioxidants, they were combined with the goal of generating greater synergistic effects as natural antioxidants. Objectives: To determine the effect of the combination of astaxanthin and zeaxanthin (2%:5% b/v) on the gel characteristics and to identify the effectiveness of gel preparations in healing diabetic ulcers in rats. Methods: The effectiveness of the gel preparation combination was determined by using male rats administered with variations in concentrations of astaxanthin and zeaxanthin. Results: The test results of the effectiveness of gels in healing diabetic ulcers presented that all formulas were significantly effective with average scores of 62.67% for formula 1, 50% for formula 2 and 57.25% for formula 3. The formula that possesses the best average value is formula 1, with a wound healing length of nine days, followed by formula 2 and 3 with wound healing lengths of 11 days. Conclusion: The gel formulation of the astaxanthin and zeaxanthin combination was successfully developed and resulted in an effective preparation evaluation and the potential for diabetic ulcer healing in a test model of male Wistar rats.