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Gels (Basel, Switzerland)2025; 11(2); doi: 10.3390/gels11020107

Evaluation of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate-Based Hydrogel and Frog Skin Dressings in Equine Skin Wound Healing.

Abstract: This study evaluates the wound-healing process in horses following the application of two treatment modalities: bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAW) and frog skin (FSW) dressings on experimentally induced skin wounds. Throughout the experiment, no clinical abnormalities were noted in the horses, although initial wound assessments indicated edema and sensitivity. Local hemorrhage was observed in some cases on Day 0, with granulation tissue formation evident by Day 14. Epithelialization began around Day 14 but did not reach complete healing in any group by Day 28. The analysis showed no significant differences in skin wound area or wound contraction rates among the treatment groups compared to control wounds (CWs) over the evaluation periods. Histopathological evaluations also indicated no significant differences in inflammatory responses or healing markers, such as fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization in skin wounds across groups. Despite expectations based on prior research in other species, the treatments with BCAW and FSW did not demonstrate substantial pro-healing effects in horses with induced skin wounds. These findings underscore the complexity of equine wound healing and suggest further investigation is needed to optimize treatment strategies in this species and enhance the translational potential for human clinical applications.
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Publication Date: 2025-02-03 PubMed ID: 39996650PubMed Central: PMC11854820DOI: 10.3390/gels11020107Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research conducted a study on wound healing in horses using either a bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate or frog skin dressings on skin wounds. It found there were no significant improvements with these treatments in comparison to control wounds, however, noted the possibility of further study to optimize treatment strategies for horses and potential applications for humans.

Objective and Methodology

  • The research was aimed at examining the effectiveness of two different healing methods, namely, bacterial cellulose hydrogel combined with alginate (BCAW) and a frog skin dressing (FSW), applied to experimentally induced wounds in horses.
  • The wounds were monitored and assessed for 28 days, noting any changes in appearance, size, sensitivity, and the presence of edema or bleeding.
  • Both macroscopic and histopathological evaluations were performed during the study, examining elements like fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization — critical components of the healing process.

Findings and Results

  • Initial assessments of the wounds indicated the presence of edema (swelling) and sensitivity, while some horses showed signs of local hemorrhage (bleeding).
  • Granulation tissue, which is a critical part of the healing process, was found to form by Day 14.
  • Epithelization, or the creation of new skin, also began around Day 14. However, none of the wounds reached complete healing by Day 28.
  • Quantitative evaluations showed no significant differences in skin wound area or wound contraction rates among the treatment groups compared to control wounds (CWs).
  • Similarly, histopathological evaluations indicated no significant difference in inflammatory responses or healing markers, like fibroblast proliferation and neovascularization, in skin wounds across the different treatment groups.

Conclusions and Implications

  • Despite expectations based on previous research in other species, the treatments with BCAW and FSW did not demonstrate substantial pro-healing effects in horses with induced skin wounds.
  • This finding highlights the complexity of the wound healing process in horses, suggesting that pre-existing knowledge and treatment strategies derived from other species might not directly apply to equines.
  • The results also indicated the need for further research to optimize treatment strategies for horses and explore possible translational applications in human clinical medicine.

Cite This Article

APA
Campebell RC, Oliveira AB, Fagundes JLA, Fortes BNA, Veado HC, Macedo IL, Dallago BSL, Barud HS, Adorno J, Salvador PAV, Santos PS, Castro MB. (2025). Evaluation of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate-Based Hydrogel and Frog Skin Dressings in Equine Skin Wound Healing. Gels, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11020107

Publication

Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
ISSN: 2310-2861
NlmUniqueID: 101696925
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 2

Researcher Affiliations

Campebell, Rita C
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Oliveira, Andressa B
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Fagundes, Jéssyca L A
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Fortes, Beatriz N A
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Veado, Henrique C
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Macedo, Isabel L
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Dallago, Bruno S L
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.
Barud, Hernane S
  • Laboratório de Biopolímeros e Biomateriais (BIOPOLMAT), Departamento de Química, Universidade de Araraquara (UNIARA), Araraquara 14800-000, SP, Brazil.
Adorno, José
  • Asa Norte Regional Hospital, HRAN, SMHN Q2, Asa Norte, Brasília 70710-100, DF, Brazil.
Salvador, Pablo A V
  • Radiation Technology Center, CETER-IPEN-CNEN/SP, Sao Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil.
Santos, Paulo S
  • Radiation Technology Center, CETER-IPEN-CNEN/SP, Sao Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil.
Castro, Márcio B
  • Hospital Escola de Grandes Animais, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária (FAV), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Área Especial SRB, Galpão 4, Granja do Torto 70636-200, DF, Brazil.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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