Ozonated Oils for Wound Healing and Role of Emulgel on the Enhanced Topical Delivery

Wound healing, particularly in chronic and infected wounds, remains a major clinical challenge due to delayed tissue repair, poor oxygenation and rising antimicrobial resistance. Ozonated oils have emerged as promising topical agents because of their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, oxygen-releasing ability and capacity to stimulate tissue regeneration. However, their direct clinical use is often limited by issues such as instability, strong odour and poor spreadability. This review critically discusses the generation of medical-grade ozone, preparation and chemistry of ozonated oils and the factors influencing their stability and therapeutic performance. The mechanisms underlying the wound-healing activity of ozonated oils, including antimicrobial action, modulation of inflammation, oxygen donation, angiogenesis and fibroblast stimulation, are examined. Particular emphasis is placed on emulgel-based delivery systems as an advanced topical platform to enhance the stability, controlled release, penetration and patient acceptability of ozonated oils. Preclinical evidence supporting the wound-healing efficacy of ozonated oils and emulgels in normal, infected and diabetic wound models is also summarized. Incorporation of ozonated oils into emulgel systems represents a rational and effective strategy to overcome formulation and application-related limitations of ozonated oils. With appropriate selection of excipients and stabilization strategies, ozonated oil based emulgels have strong potential as patient-friendly, stable and therapeutically effective topical formulations for modern wound management.