Therapeutic effects of chitosan in veterinary dermatology: A systematic review of the literature

Efficacy of chitosan in the treatment of chronic skin lesions in a horse: A case report

“…Evidence of new strategies and products that accelerate the healing process has emerged ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ; Napavichayanun & Aramwit, 2017 ). Chitosan is a high molecular weight biopolymer, regarding its antimicrobial effect, given its structure consisting of two amino groups (cationic groups), it can bind to the anionic proteins of the cytoplasmic membrane of bacterial cells, which causes bacterial imbalance and death.…”

“…The presence of bloody exudate was controlled over the first ten days and did not increase during the 3 months of dermal chitosan therapy. Hemostasis produced by chitosan-based cationic solutions is explained by the negative charge of the red blood cell membrane, which causes erythrocyte aggregation and deformation and induces thrombosis and coagulation activation, thus decreasing the bleeding levels ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ).…”

“…In some animal species such as dogs, cows, and rats, chitosan has shown to induce mononuclear and macrophage infiltration and to stimulate keratinocytes and fibroblasts aggregation and activation, which produce type I, III, and IV collagen fibers and support tissue regeneration while preventing scar formation ( Cai & Li, 2020 ). Finally, it could enhance the activity of chemical mediators, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FCF-2), which stimulate angiogenesis ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ). In the case studied, histopathological imaging revealed mononuclear inflammatory cells and ordered collagen fibers, which are consistent with literature, whereas macroscopical findings suggested that the regenerated tissue may be similar to healthy skin since it showed no aesthetic affectation.…”

“…After one minute, a chitosan film was applied over the entire lesion. This procedure was repeated every 72 hours for 3 months ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ). Due to the location of the lesion and the fact that the animal kept biting it, the horse was kept in a trap until the product was fully dried.…”

“…Chitosan films are cheap, flexible, and elastic, which is why they can be used for multiple purposes, including wound healing ( López-Cervantes et al., 2019 ). Currently, its healing ability in animals has been described ( Maldonado-Cabrera et al., 2021 ). Yanagibayashi et al., (2012) conducted a clinical trial on 36 diabetic mice that received a mixture of alginate, chitosan, and fucoidan on deteriorated excisional dorsal wounds and reported significant improvements in the granulation tissue and neovascularization in the experimental group.…”