Ozone has a high wound healing capacity and antibacterial properties and can be used as a complementary treatment in infections. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is the most common pathogen found in infected diabetic foot ulcers. Most of MRSA are resistant to several classes of antibiotics and, therefore, there is a need for new, effective, and well-tolerated agents. Thus, we aimed evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potentials of ozonated vegetable oils against MRSA strains isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. Six ozonated oils were produced with concentrations of ozone ranging from 0.53 to 17 mg of ozone/g of oil. The peroxide values were determined for each oil. Ozonated oils content on fatty acid was determined by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method and the effect of ozonated oils on biofilm formation ability and on established biofilms was investigated. In general, the content in identified unsaturated fatty acid in oils decreased with the increase of ozonation time and, consequently, the peroxide value increased. Most bacterial strains were inhibited by ozonated oil at a concentration of 4.24 mg/g. Ozonated oils had moderate to high ability to remove adhered cells and showed a high capacity to eradicate 24 h old biofilms. Our results show promising use of ozonated oils on the treatment of infections, in particular those caused by multidrug-resistant MRSA strains.

Diabetic foot ulcers are a common cause of morbidity in diabetic patients. One of the main pathogens found in these ulcers is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA often carries resistance to several classes of antibiotics and their infections are becoming harder to treat. Therefore, new alternatives are urgently needed. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the capacity of topical ozonated oil application on the treatment of early-stage skin infected with MRSA in an animal model. Ozonated oil was prepared from a mixture of oils subjected to a gas stream of O2/O3 mixture. Sixteen Wistar rats were inoculated by an intradermic injection of MRSA suspension, producing an abscess lesion. After 3 days, the skin epidermis was removed to open the wound. Group 1 received an application of oil mixture without ozone treatment and Group 2 received an application of ozonated oil. After the treatment period, skin was collected, colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria were quantified and the histological analysis of the skin was carried out. Skin samples from the control 1 and 2 had a bacterial load was of 1.1 × 105 and 5.7 × 103 CFU/mL, respectively. Group 2 showed better wound healing from mild to moderate epidermal regeneration. Topical application of ozonated vegetable oil in MRSA-infected skin in rats showed a small reduction of the bacterial load and better wound healing.

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