Tilapia fish skin can treat burns?

The fundamental justification for employing fish skin was the scarcity of human skin transplant donors in a developing nation like Brazil. Brazil's organ donation programme is less developed than those in developed nations like the USA. Because of this, many burn victims either do not receive skin grafts or must pay exorbitant sums of money to receive a donor transplant. The cost to create the tilapia fish skin is quite low. Tilapia are frequently raised in fish farms all around Brazil, and their skin is a byproduct that is typically discarded. This indicates that it is quite affordable to develop and obtain for medicinal use. Researchers from the Federal University of Ceará performed this research.

The therapeutic potential of fish skin, especially from tilapia, lies in its structural and biochemical composition, which makes it suitable for use as a biological dressing for burn wounds. This alternative approach to traditional wound care has shown promising results, including accelerated healing, reduced risk of infection, and minimized scarring in burn patients.

Tilapia skin, due to its unique composition, possesses several properties that are beneficial for burn wound management. It contains high levels of moisture, collagen, and a rich matrix of proteins that aid in promoting tissue regeneration and providing a conducive environment for the natural healing process. The presence of bioactive compounds in the fish skin also contributes to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which are crucial for preventing infections and minimizing complications during the healing process.

Advantage of using fish skin:

Contains high levels of collagen type 1, which promotes healing and encourages structural cells to develop in the wound. Contains a large amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have great antibacterial and antiviral properties, making fish skin strongly protective against infection. It has wide variety of amino acids, which stimulate cell and tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation, fight off bacteria, and protect the nerve endings. It contains special healing peptides (tilapia piscidin-3 or TP3) that speed up cell proliferation, re-modeling, and maturation of infected wounds. It adheres firmly to the wound and Holds moisture very effectively. It is Tense and resistant, allowing great protection of the wounds. Also it is cheap and readily available.

How it is used?

The skin is first removed, cleaned, chemically treated, and exposed to radiation. It is then placed in specialized packaging and checked to ensure that it is sterile before being utilized. The fish skin is applied to the wound as a natural bandage. To completely cover all exposed tissue and a portion of healthy skin, it is directly placed to the burn sites. No other creams (such as silver or sulfadiazine) are required. Sterile gauze is used to cover the fish's skin.

The Tilapia fish skin will cling securely to the wounded area while it heals. This reduces infection from bacteria and other organisms. Many fatty acids and proteins will penetrate the wound and promote healing. The fish skin may not need to be changed for cuts that are minor. You can leave it there until the fish skin sloughs off and regenerates naturally. Fish skin dressings may need to be applied several times for deeper wounds that take weeks to heal before the skin is completely healed. Yet, compared to using conventional gauze and creams, dressing changes are far less frequent.

In conclusion, the use of tilapia skin as a novel therapy for burn patients holds significant promise in revolutionizing the field of wound care and burn management. Its natural properties, cost-effectiveness, and potential to expedite the healing process make it a compelling alternative to conventional treatments.