Wound Healing Properties of Jasione montana Extracts and Their Main Secondary Metabolites

Systems Biology Methods via Genome-Wide RNA Sequences to Investigate Pathogenic Mechanisms for Identifying Biomarkers and Constructing a DNN-Based Drug-Target Interaction Model to Predict Potential Molecular Drugs for Treating Atopic Dermatitis

This study aimed to construct genome-wide genetic and epigenetic networks (GWGENs) of atopic dermatitis (AD) and healthy controls through systems biology methods based on genome-wide microarray data. Subsequently, the core GWGENs of AD and healthy controls were extracted from their real GWGENs by the principal network projection (PNP) method for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation. Then, we identified the abnormal signaling pathways by comparing the core signaling pathways of AD and healthy controls to investigate the pathogenesis of AD. Then, IL-1β, GATA3, Akt, and NF-κB were selected as biomarkers for their important roles in the abnormal regulation of downstream genes, leading to cellular dysfunctions in AD patients. Next, a deep neural network (DNN)-based drug-target interaction (DTI) model was pre-trained on DTI databases to predict molecular drugs that interact with these biomarkers. Finally, we screened the candidate molecular drugs based on drug toxicity, sensitivity, and regulatory ability as drug design specifications to select potential molecular drugs for these biomarkers to treat AD, including metformin, allantoin, and U-0126, which have shown potential for therapeutic treatment by regulating abnormal immune responses and restoring the pathogenic signaling pathways of AD.

Wound Healing and Acute Dermal Toxicity Studies of Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P. H. Raven (Onagraceae) in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Introduction

The aerial part of Ludwigia octovalvis has been used traditionally in some parts of Asia for the management of wounds owing to the presence of phytochemicals such as tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids among others. The incidence of wounds, their associated complications, and the cost of wound care are on the increase globally, therefore, the need to develop alternative wound care agents. The aim of this study was to scientifically investigate the wound healing potential of the ethanolic extract of L. octovalvis using the excision wound healing model in rats and also carry out an acute dermal toxicity investigation of the plant extract.

Method

A 70% ethanol extract of L. octovalvis was prepared for the wound healing activity using the excision wound healing model in Sprague-Dawley rats. Aqueous creams (1, 3, and 10%) were prepared and topically applied to the wounds once daily according to the groups of animals. The wounds were assessed for rates of wound closure on days 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Re-epithelialization periods were also determined. Sections of wound tissues obtained on day 13 were subjected to histological investigations. An acute dermal toxicity of the plant extract was investigated.

Results

L. octovalvis treatment (1, 3, and 10%) exhibited a mean percentage wound contraction range of 85.36 ± 7.22-94.14 ± 2.23 on day 11. The extract exhibited re-epithelialization periods of 17.3 ± 1.2, 19.8 ± 2.6, and 16.0 ± 1.7 days for the 1, 3, and 10% extract creams, respectively, whereas the cream-only and 1% silver sulfadiazine treatments resulted in a re-epithelialization period of greater than 28 days. Histopathological investigation revealed enhanced fibroblast infiltration and collagen deposition in the treatment groups. No adverse reaction was observed in the acute dermal toxicity study.

Conclusions

Extract of L. octovalvis exhibited wound healing by enhancing wound contraction, re-epithelialization, fibroblast infiltration, and collagen deposition at the wound site. The extract did not exhibit any toxic reaction in the acute dermal toxicity study.

From Plants to Wound Dressing and Transdermal Delivery of Bioactive Compounds

Transdermal delivery devices and wound dressing materials are constantly improved and upgraded with the aim of enhancing their beneficial effects, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and cost effectiveness. Therefore, researchers in the field have shown an increasing interest in using natural compounds as constituents for such systems. Plants, as an important source of so-called "natural products" with an enormous variety and structural diversity that still exceeds the capacity of present-day sciences to define or even discover them, have been part of medicine since ancient times. However, their benefits are just at the beginning of being fully exploited in modern dermal and transdermal delivery systems. Thus, plant-based primary compounds, with or without biological activity, contained in gums and mucilages, traditionally used as gelling and texturing agents in the food industry, are now being explored as valuable and cost-effective natural components in the biomedical field. Their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity compensate for local availability and compositional variations. Also, secondary metabolites, classified based on their chemical structure, are being intensively investigated for their wide pharmacological and toxicological effects. Their impact on medicine is highlighted in detail through the most recent reported studies. Innovative isolation and purification techniques, new drug delivery devices and systems, and advanced evaluation procedures are presented.

Ethyl gallate isolated from phenol-enriched fraction of Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam. Promotes cutaneous wound healing: a scientific validation through bioassay-guided fractionation

The tender shoots of Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam. are used ethnomedically by the traditional healers of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka (India) for the treatment of wounds. The current study was aimed at exploring phenol-enriched fraction (PEF) of crude ethanol extract of tender shoots to isolate and characterize the most active bio-constituent through bioassay-guided fractionation procedure. The successive fractionation and sub-fractionation of PEF, followed by in vitro scratch wound, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, yielded a highly active natural antioxidant compound ethyl gallate (EG). In vitro wound healing potentiality of EG was evidenced by a significantly higher percentage of cell migration in L929 fibroblast cells (97.98 ± 0.46% at 3.81 μg/ml concentration) compared to a positive control group (98.44 ± 0.36%) at the 48th hour of incubation. A significantly higher rate of wound contraction (98.72 ± 0.41%), an elevated tensile strength of the incised wound (1,154.60 ± 1.42 g/mm²), and increased quantity of connective tissue elements were observed in the granulation tissues of the 1% EG ointment treated animal group on the 15th post-wounding day. The accelerated wound healing activity of 1% EG was also exhibited by histopathological examinations through Hematoxylin and Eosin, Masson's trichome, and Toluidine blue-stained sections. Significant up-regulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant contents (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and down-regulation of oxidative stress marker (lipid peroxidation) clearly indicates the effective granular antioxidant activity of 1% EG in preventing oxidative damage to the skin tissues. Further, in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of EG supports the positive correlation with its enhanced wound-healing activity. Moreover, molecular docking and dynamics for 100 ns revealed the stable binding of EG with cyclooxygenase-2 (-6.2 kcal/mol) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (-4.6 kcal/mol) and unstable binding with tumor necrosis factor-α (-7.2 kcal/mol), suggesting the potential applicability of EG in inflammation and wound treatment.

Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin-Glycerol-Assisted Extraction of Phenolics from Satureja montana L.: Optimization, Anti-Elastase and Anti-Hyaluronidase Properties of the Extracts

A green method for hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-glycerol-assisted extraction (HCGAE) of bioactive phenolics from S. montana, Lamiaceae was optimized using Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology and compared conventional water/ethanol-based extraction. The procedure was aimed at obtaining extracts with the maximum content of total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF), dihydroxycinnamic acids (TDCA), rosmarinic acid (RA), and luteolin 7-O-glucoside (LG). The impact of glycerol content (0–70%), 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin content (0–0.4 mmol), temperature (20–70 °C), herbal material weight (0.3–0.8 g), extraction duration (5–25 min), and ultrasound power (144–720 W) on the extraction efficiency was analyzed. Four extracts with maximum amounts of target phenols, OPT-TP (5.93 mg/mL), OPT-TDCA-RA (4.17 mg/mL and 1.16 mg/mL, respectively), OPT-TF (0.99 mg/mL), and OPT-LG (0.28 mg/mL) were prepared. Comparison of the content of TDCA, TF, RA, and LG with those obtained in water/ethanol-based extraction demonstrated the superiority of the HCGAE approach for the extraction of phenols from S. montana. The extracts displayed good anti-elastase and excellent anti-hyaluronidase activity. IC50 values of the anti-hyaluronidase activity (1.67 ± 0.06 μL extract/mL, 1.16 ± 0.08 μL extract/mL, 0.85 ± 0.03 μL extract/mL, and 0.79 ± 0.05 μL extract/mL for OPT-TP, OPT-TDCA-RA, OPT-TF, and OPT-LG, respectively) surpassed that of the applied positive control, tannic acid. The observed bioactivity of the optimized extracts makes them promising active ingredients for natural cosmetics. The results of this research indicate that HCGAE is an excellent alternative to conventional water/ethanol-based extraction of phenolics from Satureja montana L.-yielding extracts with potent anti-elastase and anti-hyaluronidase properties suitable for direct use in cosmetic products.

Glycerol and Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents Extraction for Preparation of Luteolin-Rich Jasione montana Extracts with Cosmeceutical Activity

Jasione montana is a plant from the family Campanulaceae rich in phenols with health-beneficial properties such as luteolin (LUT) derivatives. In this work, a glycerol-based ultrasound-assisted extraction method was developed and optimized for in total phenol (TP) and LUT content, as well as antiradical activity (RSA). The best conditions (glycerol content, temperature, plant material weight, and ultrasonication power) for the preparation of J. montana extracts richest in TP (OPT-TP), LUT (OPT-LUT), and having the best RSA (OPT-RSA) were determined. Furthermore, numerous natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), containing proline, glycerol, betaine, urea, and glucose were prepared and used for the extraction of J. montana. Contents of TP, LUT, and RSA in the prepared extracts were established. Antioxidant and cosmeceutical activity of the prepared extracts was tested. The OPT-TP, OPT-LUT, and OPT-RSA, as well as the most efficient NADES-based extract, PG-50-TP, were excellent antioxidants and Fe²⁺ ion chelators. In addition, they were potent inhibitors of collagenase and hyaluronidase, as well as good significant anti-elastase and -lipoxygenase activity. The observed antioxidant- and enzyme-inhibiting activity of J. montana extracts prepared using environmentally friendly methods and non-toxic solvents makes them promising ingredients of cosmeceutical products.

Efficacy of methanolic extracts of some medicinal plants on wound healing in diabetic rats

Background

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion