Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Surgery

The Healing of Wounds Infected with Staphylococcus aureus is Accelerated by Leech Saliva Ointment

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Bagher Nikrou 1
Saeideh Naeimi 2
Maryam Rassouli 3
Sahar Ghaffari Khaligh 3
1 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
2 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
3 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
10.30500/ivsa.2024.467335.1411
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the impact of pure leech saliva and its combination with Eucerin on wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus. The experimentation involved inducing wounds on the dorsal area of the animals’ chest. For the purpose of infecting the wounds, 100 µl of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria with a density of 0.5 McFarland were introduced to the wound site. 75 male Wistar rats were employed, grouped into 5 sets of 15 rats each, and further subdivided into 3 subgroups within each group: treated with nitrofurazone (positive control), leech saliva, leech saliva ointment, Eucerin ointment, and negative control (untreated). Subsequently, on days 7, 14, and 21, samples were collected from the wound sites to quantify bacterial presence and assess wound tissue recovery. Macroscopic observations revealed promising wound healing capabilities of both leech saliva ointment and pure leech saliva within a 14-day timeframe. Microbial analysis corroborated the antimicrobial efficacy exhibited by leech saliva and its ointment formulation. According to the findings, it is reasonable to infer that both leech saliva ointment and pure leech saliva exhibit commendable efficacy in facilitating wound healing and promoting epithelial tissue regeneration in the skin.
Keywords
Leech saliva ointment
Infectious wounds
Healing
Staphylococcus aureus
Rat
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 11 July 2024
  • Revise Date 26 October 2024
  • Accept Date 04 November 2024
  • First Publish Date 04 November 2024