Abstract

NILE TILAPIA SKIN XENOGRAFT FOR BURN WOUND MANAGEMENT – REVIEW

*Sreenu Thalla, P. Yashaswi, A. Jyothi, S. D. Khadar Baba, B. Madhav, S. K. Salma, P. Srinivasa Babu

ABSTRACT

Burn injuries remain a major global public health problem, accounting for substantial morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and healthcare expenditure. Despite significant advances in burn care, the development of an ideal biological dressing that promotes rapid wound healing while minimizing pain, infection, fluid loss, and treatment costs continues to be a major challenge. Among the biological dressings investigated during the past decade, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) skin has attracted considerable attention due to its unique structural and biochemical properties. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the biological characteristics, processing methods, mechanisms of action, experimental investigations, clinical applications, advantages, limitations, and future prospects of Nile tilapia skin xenografts in burn management. The available literature indicates that tilapia skin represents a promising, cost-effective biological dressing with considerable potential to transform burn care globally. Nevertheless, multicentre randomized clinical trials, standardized processing protocols, long-term safety evaluations, and regulatory harmonization remain necessary before widespread international adoption.

Keywords: Burn wound, Nile tilapia skin, Xenograft, Biological dressing, Collagen, Skin substitute, Wound healing, Reconstructive surgery.