Wound healing of experimental cutaneous wounds in horses: comparison between a topical formulation containing powdered coconut water and an antimicrobial ointment.

Overview

• This study compared the effectiveness of a topical formulation containing powdered coconut water to a standard antimicrobial ointment for healing skin wounds in horses.
• The researchers evaluated healing progress over 14 days using measurements of wound size, macroscopic indicators, and microscopic tissue analysis.

Background and Objective

• Skin wounds in horses often take a long time to heal, prompting a search for improved topical treatments.
• Coconut water, especially in powdered form, has not been previously studied as a topical treatment for equine wounds.
• The objective was to compare early healing outcomes (both visible and microscopic) of wounds treated with powdered coconut water versus a regular antimicrobial ointment.

Methods

• Subjects: Eight clinically healthy horses.
• Procedure:
  • Each horse received two standardized circular skin wounds on the lumbar area: one cranial and one caudal.
  • The cranial wound was treated daily with the reference antimicrobial ointment.
  • The caudal wound was treated daily with the experimental topical formulation containing powdered coconut water.
  • Treatments were applied once a day for 14 days.
• Measurements:
  • Wound length, width, and area assessed by planimetry on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14.
  • Clinical signs such as edema (swelling), exudate (fluid discharge), and degree of repair were recorded.
  • Mean wound repair rate calculated over time.
  • On day 14, histopathological examinations were performed to analyze tissue healing at the microscopic level.

Results

• Wound Area:
  • Both treatments showed a progressive reduction in wound area over time.
  • This indicated normal healing, with a significant effect of time on wound size reduction.
  • No significant overall difference was found between the coconut water formulation and antimicrobial ointment.
  • No significant interaction between treatment type and time—which means healing progressed similarly regardless of treatment.
• Degree of Repair:
  • An exploratory analysis suggested a difference in healing degree at day 3 favoring one treatment after multiple comparisons adjustment (Holm method), but this was not conclusive.
• Edema and Exudate:
  • No significant differences found between treatments in swelling or discharge.
• Histopathology:
  • The microscopic tissue evaluation on day 14 showed no difference in healing characteristics (e.g., inflammation, cell proliferation) between treatments.
• Mean Repair Rate:
  • The overall wound repair speed was similar in both treatment groups.

Conclusions

• In this experimental setting, the topical formulation containing powdered coconut water was not superior to a conventional antimicrobial ointment for early-stage wound healing in horses.
• There was no clear evidence of therapeutic equivalence or a unique beneficial effect of the coconut water formulation based on early wound healing macroscopic or histological data.
• Results encourage further research with larger sample sizes and more complex clinical wound models to determine if powdered coconut water might provide benefits under different circumstances.

Implications for Practice and Future Research

• This study provides reference data for future evaluations of coconut water as a wound care agent in veterinary medicine.
• Because no adverse effects or inferior healing were observed, the formulation may be safe but its efficacy needs confirmation in further trials.
• Researchers suggest exploring different dosages, formulations, or wound types to better elucidate potential advantages.