Accelerated Wound Healing Using Biocellulose Dressings Enriched With Laportea decumana Extract in Polymicrobial Infection Wound Models

Laportea decumana (Roxb.) Wedd. is known for its analgesic, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. This study aimed to evaluate the wound‐healing effects of LDE incorporated into a biocellulose dressing for the treatment of polymicrobial‐infected wounds. The metabolite profile of LDE was characterized using UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS. Biocellulose dressings were prepared with and without 4% LDE for the in vivo study. Fifteen male rats were each subjected to three biopsy punch wounds, which were infected with a polymicrobial mix of Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The wounds were treated with either blank or 4% LDE‐fortified biocellulose dressing, or left untreated for 14 days. Wound diameters were measured daily, and histological analyses were conducted on Days 3, 7, and 11 to evaluate the inflammatory, proliferative, and maturation phases of wound healing. In vivo experiments showed that wounds treated with 4% LDE‐fortified biocellulose had significantly smaller diameters from Day 11 onward compared to untreated wounds or blank control. While all wounds exhibited edema and leukocyte infiltration during the inflammatory phase, treatment with 4% LDE significantly enhanced granulation tissue formation, fibroblast activity, and collagen deposition in the proliferative phase. During maturation, LDE‐fortified dressings accelerated re‐epithelialization. In conclusion, the 4% LDE‐fortified biocellulose dressing exhibited wound‐healing effects in a rat model of infected wounds by promoting cell proliferation and accelerating the maturation phase of wound repair. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying antimicrobial and inflammatory mechanisms.