Therapeutic ozone gas: unveiling its applicability in veterinary medicine

Resumo

Veterinary medicine is undergoing a conceptual and practical expansion that surpasses strictly pharmacological and surgical treatments by incorporating complementary and integrative approaches aimed at optimizing clinical protocols (Rubin, 2024). The use of ozone gas (O₃) has been increasingly explored by veterinary professionals. Its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, immunomodulatory, and wound-healing properties highlight its clinical relevance, and its ability to potentiate the effects of conventional drugs has made it an exceptional subject of interest for researchers. Medicinal O₃, used for disinfection and disease treatment, has been reported for more than 150 years. In veterinary medicine, the first scientific reports of ozone therapy in animals emerged in the mid-20th century, when veterinarians in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union applied O₃ to treat wounds, bacterial diseases, and infectious conditions in livestock, observing improved healing and reduced microbial load (Khan et al., 2007). Ozone triggers a biochemical dynamic within cells that induces controlled oxidative stress capable of modulating inflammatory, hormonal, and other physiological cascades. Given this mechanism, its therapeutic action is not attributed directly to ozone itself, but rather to the activity of ROS and LOPs on various cells and tissues. ROS modulate erythrocytes by restoring blood rheology and stimulating aerobic glycolysis, thereby enhancing both oxygen transport and ATP synthesis. In leukocytes, ROS promote macrophage and neutrophil activation (Diaz-Luis et al., 2015), while in platelets they stimulate the release of autacoids and growth factors. Thus, the objective of this systematic review is to present the importance of ozone in veterinary medicine and its potential applications, opening a broad field of topics for future scientific investigation.