CHAPTER 2

Onion

Onions belong to the genus Allium of the Alliaceae family and contain many colored varieties. Onions are the oldest cultural vegetable, second only to tomatoes, both of which are widely used for purposes other than cooking around the world. (Jiwan S. Sidhu, 2019). The entire onion can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 months and can be bad if chopped, sliced ​​or sliced ​​onion. Sliced ​​onions can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days in a suitable food storage container.

Onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, lower triglycerides, and lower cholesterol, which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Their strong anti-inflammatory properties also help lower high blood pressure and protect against blood clots. (Jillian Kubala, 2018). Onion extract (Allium cepa) contains several unique bioflavenoids with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, such as quercetin, kaempferol and sepalin. Onion extract can reduce cell proliferation during wound healing, which is believed to reduce the risk of scarrin, (Iafelice, 2018).

Natural products are increasingly popular because they are believed to have few side effects Onions as a common food have been the subject of numerous clinical trials, only few side-effects have been reported, (Wang Huang, 2021).

Wound Healing

Wound healing is one of the most complex processes in the human body. It involves spatial and temporal synchronization of numerous cell types with different roles in the stages of hemostasis, inflammation, growth, re-epithelialization and remodeling, (Melanie Rodrigues, 2018). the inflammatory stage is when the blood vessels at the site of injury narrow, prevent blood loss, and platelets collect in the clot, which reinforces the platelet plug with fibrin mesh that serves as a glue to hold the clot together. The moment blood flow has stopped, tissue regeneration can begin.

Fibrinogen was first classified as a fibrous protein with keratin, myosin and epidermin, based on its wide angle X-ray diffraction pattern arising from its α-helical coiled-coil structure. It is a 340-kDa glycoprotein, normally present in human blood plasma at a concentration of about 1.5–4 g/L, that is essential for hemostasis, wound healing, inflammation, angiogenesis, and several other biological functions, (Litvinov, 2018)

Blood vessels would then expand to allow blood to flow, the area would then be flooded with white cells to prevent microbes and this causes the swelling or inflammation, Wound healing is a natural physiological reaction to tissue injury. However, wound healing is not a simple phenomenon but involves a complex interplay between numerous cell types, cytokines, mediators, and the vascular system, (Wallace HA, 2017). After swelling happens, new tissue should begin to form in the wound. You should see new skin forming over the wound, and the exposed wound should get smaller.

A skin wound results from the breakdown of the epidermal layer integrity.[1] Any tissue injury with anatomical integrity disruption with functional loss can be described as a wound. Wound healing mostly means healing of the skin. The wound healing begins immediately after an injury to the epidermal layer and might take years, (Munire K, 2021).