Morphology and morphometry in the healing of experimentally induced wounds in rabbits treated with autologous platelet-rich fibrin and bioactive chitosan/xanthan/β-glucan dressing

Wound healing presents a dynamic and rapidly growing field of research worldwide. With technological advances, a range of dressings have been developed for different types of wounds, targeting the four phases of healing. Biopolymers, such as chitosan, are used to treat wounds owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and similarity to recognized macromolecules. However, most biopolymer-based formulations have several limitations; combining them with biomaterials such as Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) is considered a promising strategy for wound healing. Hence, in this study, we aimed to analyze the effectiveness of biomaterials, with or without the bioactive dressing comprising chitosan complexed with xanthan and β-glucan, in the healing of induced wounds in rabbits by characterizing the macroscopic and morphometric effects. Twenty-four rabbits were used to investigate the macroscopic changes in wounds that were experimentally induced and treated with autologous platelet-rich fibrin, combined with or without bioactive dressing; the morphological features associated with the healing process were studied on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. The results reflected that the tested biomaterials showed promising wound healing properties, even without presenting the expected synergistic effect; the APRF group demonstrated a higher percentage of contraction than the others, and the membrane group allowed the constant production of fibroblasts over time, which can facilitate the healing process.