Physico-Chemical and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Ozonated Olive Oil Produced with a Medical-Grade Generator for Veterinary Purposes

The search for broad-spectrum antimicrobial products that do not generate resistance upon multiple applications has led to increased scientific and clinical interest in ozonated oils. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the physico-chemical structure and antimicrobial properties of 1-12 h ozonated extra virgin olive oil produced in a veterinary clinic with a medical-grade generator. Prolonging the ozonation time causes a decrease in the iodine index, followed by significant increases in viscosity, acidity index, and peroxide values (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Other similar studies using industrial generators obtained satisfactory clinical results at peroxide values between 335 and 3590 mEq O₂/Kg. Contrary to these established minimum thresholds, we found that ozonated olive oil with a peroxide index of 184 and 224 mEq O₂/Kg exhibits fungicidal and bactericidal effects, demonstrating significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.05) between tested and control samples for strains such as <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>E. faecalis</i>, and <i>E. coli</i>. The 12 h ozonated oil showed itself to be efficient in the treatment of a 3-year-old cat presenting a chronic infected wound. The results encourage more detailed investigations of the antimicrobial effect of ozonated oils obtained with medical-grade generators and their evaluation on bacterial strains isolated from different individuals, followed by clinical evaluations and standardization.