A novel cross-linked honey
hydrogel dressing was developed by incorporating Malaysian honey into
hydrogel dressing formulation, cross-linked and sterilized using electron beam irradiation (25 kGy). In this study, the physical properties of the prepared honey
hydrogel and its wound healing efficacy on deep partial thickness
burn wounds in rats were assessed. Skin samples were taken at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after
burn for histopathological and molecular evaluations. Application of honey
hydrogel dressings significantly enhanced (P < 0.05)
wound closure and accelerated the rate of re-epithelialization as compared to control
hydrogel and
OpSite film dressing. A significant decrease in inflammatory response was observed in honey
hydrogel treated
wounds as early as 7 days after
burn (P < 0.05). Semiquantitative analysis using RT-PCR revealed that treatment with honey
hydrogel significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the expression of proinflammatory
cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6). The present study substantiates the potential efficacy of honey
hydrogel dressings in accelerating
burn wound healing.