Delivery Systems Containing Brazilian Red Propolis: Safety and Efficacy for Skin Wound Healing
摘要
Skin wounds are a major clinical, social and economic challenge because healing is a long and complex process. Therefore, the healing potential of Brazilian red propolis (BRP) encapsulated in microemulsions (ME) and nanostructured lipid carriers was evaluated in acute skin wounds. After 14 days, animals treated with 10 mg/mL of BRP (BRP10) or ME containing 5 mg/mL of BRP (ME-BRP5) showed the greatest wound reduction (77.7% and 73.6%, respectively). By day 21, groups treated with 5 mg/mL of BRP (BRP5), BRP10, and ME-BRP5 reached 94%, 86.4% and 93.8% wound-area reduction, respectively. All treatments, except BRP5, led to significant reductions in microbial colony counts within the first 48 h. No significant changes were observed in water intake, body weight, genotoxicity, or liver and kidney function markers. Overall, BRP, particularly when encapsulated in ME, accelerated wound closure, reduced early microbial load, and showed no systemic toxicity, proving its efficacy and safety in the wound model studied.