Biotechnological Potential of Biosurfactant-Based Ointment: A Promising Biomaterial for Enhanced Wounds Healing

Abstract

Abstract: This study evaluated and compared the wound-healing effects of biosurfactant-loaded ointments derived from the viscera of Catla catla fish at concentrations of 25, 50, and 75 µg/mL. The results demonstrated significant improvements in wound contraction and tissue regeneration. The greater wound contraction (84.31 ± 1.7 %) was observed in the group treated with the 75 µg/mL ointment group on day 10, showing a significant difference from the negative control (69.68 ± 1.3 %) (p ≤ 0.05). Histological analysis revealed re-epithelization and hair follicle formation in the 75 µg/mL ointment group, indicating complete tissue regeneration. To further confirm the efficacy of ointments, antioxidant assays were performed. On day 10, the 75 µg/mL ointment group showed a significantly higher glutathione level (GSH) (51.3 ± 2.8 mg/L) than the negative control group (20.9 ± 0.8 mg/L, p < 0.01). Additionally, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly higher in the 50 µg/mL ointment group than in the control group, with values of 208.0 ± 3.3 U/mL for SOD and 207.4 ± 4.0 U/L for GSH-Px (p < 0.01), respectively. These findings suggest that biosurfactant ointments enhance wound healing by promoting wound contraction, strengthening antioxidant defense, and supporting tissue regeneration, highlighting their potential as effective alternative to conventional wound treatments.