Effects of Silver Nanoparticles and Aloe vera Extract on Wound Closure and Bacterial Reduction in a Mouse Wound Model
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Abstract
Introduction: Microbial resistance and poor tissue repair in chronically infected wounds motivate exploring silver nanoparticles as broad-spectrum antibacterials, combined with natural anti-inflammatory and reparative compounds to improve treatment. The present study aimed to assess the synergistic effect of silver nanoparticles and Aloe vera extract on wound closure and bacterial load reduction in mice.
Methods and materials: A total of 32 male mice, weighing 25-30 grams and aged 4 weeks, were randomly assigned to four equal groups (n = 8). The four groups were an untreated control group, a group treated with Aloe vera alcoholic extract, a group treated with silver nanoparticles (20 µg/mL), and a combined group treated with silver nanoparticles and Aloe vera extract. An 8-mm-diameter, full-thickness skin wound was created on the dorsal region, and mice were treated for 14 days. Wound healing was assessed by measuring the wound surface area on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14. Bacterial colony counts (CFU/mL), histological changes, and collagen formation were evaluated on days 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14.
Results: Wound closure on day 14 was 71.4% in the control group, 82.6% in the Aloe vera group, 86.9% in the silver nanoparticle group, and 94.8% in the combined group. The combined group demonstrated a significant reduction in wound area compared with the control group. The bacterial load in the combined group was 1.8 × 103 CFU/mL, a 99.9% reduction compared with the control group (4.6 × 10⁶ CFU/mL). Histological examination demonstrated that the combined group had increased granulation tissue formation, higher organization of collagen fibers, and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration at days 3, 7, and 14 compared with the control group.
Conclusion: The present findings indicated that the combination of silver nanoparticles with Aloe vera extract could support the development of novel wound-healing therapies by accelerating wound closure and reducing microbial load.
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