Current Biotechnology - Online First

In recent decades, studies have begun to analyze the therapeutic properties of honey, specifically in wound healing. The objective of this research was to investigate the tissue repair process of cutaneous wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus in Wistar rats through the application of honey.

The antibacterial analysis results were satisfactory, showing a reduction in bacteria in the Petri dishes. In the macroscopic analysis, there was a reduction in the wound area in all groups, but the groups treated with honey showed significantly better differences compared to the control group.

In the evaluation of the mean intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate, there was a reduction in the infiltrate in all groups, but no significant difference was observed. In the collagen evaluation, the groups that received treatment with Apis mellifera and Melipona scutellaris honey showed a greater deposition of collagen fiber bundles, with a significant difference compared to the control group. After 14 days there was total regeneration of the epidermis in most animals, with a greater amount of collagen fiber formation.

Therefore, the work showed a novelty in terms of the screening of the use of a natural product for wound healing purposes giving prospects for substitution of traditional medicines by honeybee, being a sustainable alternative for human health.