Wound Healing and Antimicrobial Effects of Chitosan-hydrogel/Honey Compounds in a Rat Full-thickness Wound Model

Introduction. Honey and chitosan have shown antimicrobial and wound healing effects. As a biocompatible and biodegradable biomaterial, chitosan has shown antimicrobial capabilities. Objective. In this study, the effects of the incorporation of high molecular weight chitosan hydrogel on antibacterial, antifungal, and wound healing properties of honey were investigated. Materials and Methods. The minimum inhibitory concentration of chitosan and honey were examined in pure and 3:1,1:1, and 1:3 (v/v) compound ratios for Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. In addition, the inflammatory, granulation and fibrotic tissue formation, reepithelialization indices, and wound shrinkage effects of each treatment were evaluated and compared with saline and silver sulfadiazine. Results. Chitosan/honey 1:3 was found to be effective against all 5 aforementioned germs. Honey, chitosan/honey 1:1, and chitosan/honey 1:3 showed faster wound healing and shrinkage effects. Conclusions. Incorporation of chitosan hydrogel into honey can substantially enhance its antimicrobial and wound healing effects. Chitosan-hydrogel/honey (1:3) is an optimal wound dressing formulation with ample antimicrobial and healing properties.