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Local Honey as Topical Treatment in Chronic Wound Healing: An Experimental Animal Study
Nandita Melati Putri1, Gina Yunita Joice Sitorus, Justina Bernadeth Swannjo
1Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Context:
Chronic wounds pose a significant healthcare burden, and access to affordable, and effective treatments is limited. Locally sourced honey may be a cost-effective and readily available alternative to Manuka honey for wound healing.
Aims:
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of local honey (Nusantara honey and Java Honey) in Indonesia and Manuka Honey, in treating chronic wounds.
Settings And Design:
This was an experimental study conducted and approved by The Ethical Committee from faculty of veterinary medicine bogor agriculture university in the respective animal laboratory.
Subjects And Methods:
Thirty-six rats with chronic wounds were treated with three types of honey, and wound healing was monitored through macroscopic and microscopic evaluations on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 13.
Statistical Analysis Used:
The analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc analysis.
Results:
From day 3 to day 0, a significant reduction in wound area was observed among the three-honey treatments (P = 0.021). Post hoc analysis revealed that Manuka Honey and Nusantara honey were more effective than Java Honey (P = 0.009 and P = 0.03, respectively). Slough reduction also showed noticeable differences across groups (P = 0.025), favoring Manuka Honey over Java Honey (P = 0.059), and Nusantara honey over Java Honey (P = 0.008). Microscopic evaluation showed a difference in collagen deposition on day 5 between Manuka and Java honey (P = 0.08).
Conclusions:
Local honey could be a viable alternative to Manuka Honey for chronic wound treatment, offering similar benefits at a lower cost and greater availability.
