title: Evaluation of the healing activity of therapeutic clay in rat skin wounds.
abstract: The use of clays for therapeutic practice is widespread in almost all regions of the world. In this study the physicochemical and microbiological healing characteristics of a clay from Ocara, Brazil, popularly used for therapeutic uses, were analyzed. The presence of Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, and Si was observed, which initially indicated that the clay had potential for therapeutic use. The average particle size of the clay (26.3 μm) can induce the microcirculation of the skin and the XRD analysis shows that the clay is formed by kaolinite and illite, a swelling clay. During the microbiological evaluation there was the need to sterilize the clay for later incorporation into the pharmaceutical formula. The accelerated stability test at 50°C for 3 months has showed that the pharmaceutical formula remained stable with a shelf life of two years. After the stability test the wound-healing capacity of the formulation in rats was evaluated. It was observed that the treatment made with the formulation containing the Ocara clay showed the best results since the formula allowed greater formation of collagen fibers and consequent regeneration of the deep dermis after seven days of treatment and reepithelialization and continuous formation of granulation tissue at the 14th day.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giordana Maciel
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Dário
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geovana Gomes
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Davi Ludvig
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adilson Teixeira
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angioletto
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Post-Graduation Program, UNESC, Av. Universitária 1105, Cricúma, Santa Catarina 88806-000, Brazil. Electronic address: amb@unesc.net.
authors.forename: Adriano Michael
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bernardin
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000818:Animals; D000077215:Clay; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010316:Particle Size; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014945:Wound Healing; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D000077215:Clay
keywords: Clays; Pharmaceutical uses; Therapeutic clay; Wound-healing