Bioassay-guided evaluation of wound healing effect of fatty acids-incorporated collagen-based films.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of fatty acids-incorporated collagen-based dressing films on wound healing in rodents. METHODS: Therefore, surgical wounds were performed in the back of 80 Wistar rats, and dressed with collgane-based films (COL), and collagen-based films containing fatty acids (AGEF50 and AGEF100). Undressed wounds were regarded as controls (CTR). The animals were euthanized after three, seven, 14 and 21 days, and the macroscopic wound contraction rates (WRC) were assessed. The wounded area was also analyzed by conventional and polarized light microscope. RESULTS: No sign of abscess or hypertrophic scar formation was observed in none of the groups. At seven days, the WRR of AGEF50 was significantly higher than CTR (p<0.01), whereas at 14 days, both AGE 50 and AGE100 showed a significant increase of the WRR compared to CTR (p<0.001) and COL (p<0.01). Both films promoted increased influx of neutrophils at three days (p<0.01), but reduced significantly the mononuclear infiltrate at 14 days (p<0.05). It was also observed earlier maturation of the granulation tissue, full epithelization and cutaneous appendages development, as well as better collagenization, in AGEF50 and AGEF100. CONCLUSION: The application of AGEF50/100 as wound dressing improved wound healing in rodents.