Virgin coconut oil and serum TNF-alpha during burn healing in dyslipidemic rats

Meisy Fania Cantika Ketaren (Universitas Prima Indonesia) ROR
Suandy Suandy (Universitas Prima Indonesia) ROR
DOI: 10.56922/msc.v6i6.1 Published: 2026-10-27 pp. 155-160
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Background: Burn wounds in dyslipidemic conditions may heal less favorably because inflammation and metabolic disturbances can interfere with tissue repair. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory mediator, while virgin coconut oil (VCO) contains bioactive components with potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inflammation-modulating properties.

Purpose: To compare topical VCO 50% and 70% with vehicle and silver sulfadiazine controls for serum TNF-alpha levels during burn wound healing in dyslipidemic rats, and to describe wound-area and wound-contraction outcomes.

Method: This true laboratory experiment used a completely randomized four-group design with 20 male Wistar rats (n = 5/group): K1, 0.9% NaCl; K2, 1% silver sulfadiazine; K3, 50% VCO; and K4, 70% VCO. Wound area was assessed on days 0, 3, 7, and 14, and wound contraction on days 3, 7, and 14. Serum TNF-alpha was measured by ELISA in eight available samples (two/group). Analyses included Shapiro-Wilk, Levene, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Tukey B tests as appropriate, with alpha = 0.05.

Results: On day 14, K4 had the lowest mean wound-area value (7.96) and the highest mean wound contraction (71.170 ± 6.162%), compared with K1 (55.238 ± 8.109%), K2 (62.966 ± 6.338%), and K3 (59.514 ± 4.777%). Wound contraction did not differ significantly on day 3 (F = 2.618; p = 0.087) or day 7 (H = 2.840; p = 0.417), but differed on day 14 (F = 5.467; p = 0.009). Tukey B subsets separated K4 from K1 and K3, while K4 and K2 overlapped. Mean serum TNF-alpha levels were 175.156, 65.975, 135.039, and 234.405 pg/mL in K1-K4, respectively; the between-group difference was not significant (H = 2.500; p = 0.475).

Conclusion: VCO 70% was accompanied by greater day-14 wound contraction than the vehicle and VCO 50% groups, but did not differ from 1% silver sulfadiazine in the reported Tukey B subsets. The eight available serum samples did not show a statistically significant difference in TNF-alpha. Biomarker findings require cautious interpretation because only two serum samples per group were analyzed.

 

Virgin coconut oil and serum TNF-alpha during burn healing in dyslipidemic rats. (2026). Journal of Medical Surgical Concerns, 6(6), 155-160. https://doi.org/10.56922/msc.v6i6.1
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