Wound contraction effects and antibacterial properties of Tualang honey on full-thickness burn wounds in rats in comparison to hydrofibre

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Full-thickness burn wounds require excision and skin grafting. Multiple surgical procedures are inevitable in managing moderate to severe full-thickness burns. Wound bed preparations prior to surgery are necessary in order to prevent wound infection and promote wound healing. Honey can be used to treat burn wounds. However, not all the honey is the same. This study aims to evaluate the wound contraction and antibacterial properties of locally-produced <it>Tualang </it>honey on managing full-thickness burn wounds <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-six female <it>Sprague Dawley </it>rats were randomly divided into three groups. Under anaesthesia, three full-thickness burn wounds were created on the dorsum of the rats. The full-thickness burn wounds were inoculated with a specific organism (10⁴), namely <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>(n = 12), <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>(n = 12), or <it>Acinetobacter baumannii </it>(n = 12). The three burn wounds were dressed with <it>Tualang </it>honey, hydrofibre and hydrofibre silver respectively. Swab samples were obtained every 3 days (day 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21) for quantitative and semi-quantitative microbiological analyses. Clinical assessments, including observations concerning the appearance and wound size, were measured at the same time.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a rapid 32.26% reduction in wound size by day 6 (<it>p </it>= 0.008) in the <it>Tualang </it>honey-treated wounds, and 49.27% by day 15 (<it>p </it>= 0.005). The wounds remained smaller by day 18 (<it>p </it>< 0.032). <it>Tualang </it>honey-treated rats demonstrated a reduction in bacterial growth in <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>inoculated wounds (<it>p </it>= 0.005). However, hydrofibre silver and hydrofibre-treated wounds are superior to honey-treated wounds with <it>Acinetobacter baumannii </it>(<it>p </it>= 0.035). There was no statistical significant of antibacterial property in <it>Klebsiella pneumonia </it>inoculated wounds.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Tualang </it>honey has better results with regards to its control of <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>and its wound contraction effects on full-thickness burn wound <it>in vivo</it>.</p

A new, easy-to-make pectin-honey hydrogel enhances wound healing in rats

Abstract Background Honey, alone or in combination, has been used for wound healing since ancient times and has reemerged as a topic of interest in the last decade. Pectin has recently been investigated for its use in various biomedical applications such as drug delivery, skin protection, and scaffolding for cells. The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a pectin-honey hydrogel (PHH) as a wound healing membrane and to compare this dressing to liquid honey. Methods Thirty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and a 2 × 2 cm excisional wound was created on the dorsum. Animals were randomly assigned to four groups (PHH, LH, Pec, and C): in the PHH group, the pectin-honey hydrogel was applied under a bandage on the wound; in the LH group, liquid Manuka honey was applied; in the Pec group, pectin hydrogel was applied (Pec); and in the C group, only bandage was applied to the wound. Images of the wound were taken at defined time points, and the wound area reduction rate was calculated and compared between groups. Results The wound area reduction rate was faster in the PHH, LH, and Pec groups compared to the control group and was significantly faster in the PHH group. Surprisingly, the Pec group exhibited faster wound healing than the LH group, but this effect was not statistically significant. Conclusion This is the first study using pectin in combination with honey to produce biomedical hydrogels for wound treatment. The results indicate that the use of PHH is effective for promoting and accelerating wound healing