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The future of fire and wound care looks fishy—in a good way. New research suggests that more types of fish skin can be used as wound dressings than previously thought.
Researchers at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines conducted the study, which aimed to test the potential of milkfish (Cheers cheers) skin as a basis for skin grafting. The researchers found that milkfish skin was as strong and effective in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms as tilapia skin, an emerging skin graft. The discovery could make milkfish a low-cost, eco-friendly way to treat large ulcers in poor communities, the researchers say.
In recent years, scientists have explored fish skin as a substance that humans and animals use. Compared to other parts of the animal skin, fish skin it fights against viral contamination and may be good for speeding up wound healing. Several fish skin products are currently being tested and have been used at this time emergency situations like the California wildfires in 2023.
However, currently, the most common fish used in these cages are tilapia. So the Ateneo de Manila researchers wanted to see if the famous milkfish (locally known as “bangus”) could be transformed into a medical treatment.
He collected milkfish and tilapia skins from a market in Metro Manila, then cut, washed, and cut them. Some of the samples were treated with silver nanoparticles, a common antimicrobial, while others were left as controls.
Under the microscope, milkfish skins retained the integrity of their collagen just as tilapia did. And treated milkfish skin has also been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi, too.
“By showing that milkfish skin can be successfully closed and used in the same way as tilapia skin, this research provides new, cost-effective, and sustainable wound healing solutions,” the researchers wrote in their paper. printed at the end of last year BIO Web of Conferences.
As famous as milkfish is in places like the Philippines, its skin is often thrown in the trash. So being able to use milkfish skin as a wound dressing can help hospitals with limited resources and reduce environmental damage. More research needs to be done to confirm whether milkfish skin can be combined, but it could be an important treatment option, the researchers say.
“This discovery could revolutionize wound care in underserved communities, improving patient outcomes in communities that lack access to medical care,” they wrote.
Scientists in other areas have also begun to test other types of fish that are included in the skin, such as code.
