Avaliação de uma formulação contendo água de coco em pó no tratamento de feridas experimentais em equinos

Abstract

The healing of cutaneous wounds in horses constitutes a relevant challenge in veterinary practice due to the often prolonged course of tissue repair and the demand for effective and safe topical therapeutic alternatives. In this context, this thesis aimed to evaluate the healing performance of a topical formulation based on powdered coconut water, in comparison with a reference antimicrobial ointment, in the treatment of experimentally induced cutaneous wounds in horses. This was an exploratory experimental study with an intra-animal paired design, carried out with eight clinically healthy horses, in which two standardized circular cutaneous wounds were created in the lumbar region, one treated with the reference ointment and the other with the experimental formulation, administered once daily for 14 days. The evaluation comprised serial macroscopic analysis, morphometric measurement by digital planimetry on days 0, 3, 7, 10 and 14, in addition to histopathological examination at the end of the experimental period. The results showed a progressive reduction in wound area in both groups over time, with satisfactory healing evolution in the lesions evaluated. No difference was detected between the treatments regarding the macroscopic, morphometric and histopathological outcomes analyzed, including edema, exudate, mean repair rate and histological scores on day 14. These findings indicate that, under the evaluated conditions, the topical formulation based on powdered coconut water showed healing behavior comparable to that of the reference antimicrobial ointment, suggesting wound healing progression compatible with the comparator treatment. In a complementary manner, the thesis included an integrative review on exuberant granulation tissue in horses, which reinforced the clinical relevance of the topic and the scarcity of standardized therapeutic protocols. It is concluded that the topical formulation based on powdered coconut water constitutes a promising alternative for further investigation, and future studies with larger samples, longer follow-up and models closer to the clinical conditions of veterinary routine are recommended.