Formulation of Aloe vera and Forest Honey Hydrogel Dressing for Diabetic Ulcer Healing

Hydrogel dressings are widely used for chronic wound management because they maintain a moist microenvironment, accommodate exudate, and support tissue repair. This study formulated a chitosan-based forest honey–Aloe vera hydrogel dressing and evaluated its physicochemical characteristics and wound-healing performance in an alloxan-induced hyperglycaemic excisional wound model in male rats (Rattus norvegicus). Four formulations were prepared by varying the proportions of forest honey and Aloe vera: F1 (20% honey), F2 (20% Aloe vera), F3 (15% honey + 5% Aloe vera), and F4 (5% honey + 15% Aloe vera). Physicochemical evaluation included organoleptic characteristics and homogeneity, pH, spreadability, adhesion time, and swelling capacity. All formulations produced homogeneous, translucent hydrogels without visible phase separation. The pH values were mildly acidic (4.85–5.40), spreadability ranged from 5.80 to 6.50 cm, adhesion time ranged from 8.1 to 14.2 min, and swelling capacity ranged from 190% to 230%. In vivo, complete macroscopic wound closure occurred by Day 10 for F2 and the positive control, followed by Day 11 for F4, Day 12 for F3, and Day 13 for F1; the untreated negative control did not reach closure by Day 14. Overall, the Aloe vera–dominant hydrogel (F2) showed the fastest closure kinetics in this dataset.