Posidonia oceanica extract in wound healing: exploring its potential and comparison with conventional topical therapies

Introduction Wound healing is a complex, multistage process regulated by inflammatory, oxidative, regenerative processes, and marine-derived compounds are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential.Objective This study evaluated the wound-healing efficacy of an aqueous Posidonia oceanica (PO) leaf extract in standardized full-thickness mice wounds, compared with alginate hydrogel (AH), fusidic acid + Centella asiatica cream (FM), and untreated controls (NC).Materials and Methods Ninety-six (6–8-week-old) male BALB/c mice were randomized into four groups; four 4-mm dorsal wounds were created on each animal, and treatments were applied topically once daily for 14 days. Wound healing was assessed by planimetric wound area measurements, histological evaluations, biochemical analysis of oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers and growth factors, hydroxyproline levels, and gene expression analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-9.Results Application of PO extract significantly reduced wound areas from day 3 onward compared with NC and FM groups, with effects comparable to AH group by day 14. PO treatment increased epithelialization, fibroblast growth factor, and hydroxyproline levels, while reducing macrophage infiltration, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines. Genomic analyses further indicated that topical PO extract significantly downregulated the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, supporting balanced extracellular matrix remodeling.Conclusions PO extract promoted wound healing comparable to AH and superior to FM treatment, providing the first in vivo evidence for P. oceanica as a promising marine-derived therapeutic candidate for wound care.