Atropa Belladonna L. Water Extract: Modulator of Extracellular Matrix Formation in Vitro and in Vivo

Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds from Bacopa procumbens and Their Effects on Wound-Healing Process

Wounds represent a medical problem that contributes importantly to patient morbidity and to healthcare costs in several pathologies. In Hidalgo, Mexico, the Bacopa procumbens plant has been traditionally used for wound-healing care for several generations; in vitro and in vivo experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of bioactive compounds obtained from a B. procumbens aqueous fraction and to determine the key pathways involved in wound regeneration. Bioactive compounds were characterized by HPLC/QTOF-MS, and proliferation, migration, adhesion, and differentiation studies were conducted on NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Polyphenolic compounds from Bacopa procumbens (PB) regulated proliferation and cell adhesion; enhanced migration, reducing the artificial scratch area; and modulated cell differentiation. PB compounds were included in a hydrogel for topical administration in a rat excision wound model. Histological, histochemical, and mechanical analyses showed that PB treatment accelerates wound closure in at least 48 h and reduces inflammation, increasing cell proliferation and deposition and organization of collagen at earlier times. These changes resulted in the formation of a scar with better tensile properties. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR molecular analyses demonstrated that treatment induces (i) overexpression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and (ii) the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2, suggesting the central role of some PB compounds to enhance wound healing, modulating TGF-β activation.

In-silico Screening of Phytoconstituents on Wound Healing Targets-Approaches and Current Status

Over recent years, there has been tremendous research focused on the effective utilization of natural products in wound management. Natural or herbal products contain several phytoconstituents that may act on various stages in wound healing and thereby provide a multi-targeted approach especially in the treatment of chronic wounds. Currently, attempts have been made to screen the phytoconstituents present in herbs on various targets involved in wound healing. This review includes a systematic evaluation of scientific reports by various groups of researchers on the herbals evaluated for wound management, their phytochemical profiling, pre-clinical studies, and molecular modeling studies. Various wound targets discussed include Interleukin-1, Interleukin-6, Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ-4) that regulate the early inflammatory stage and the novel T cell immune response cDNA 7(TIRC7) that regulates angiogenesis. Also, neuropeptides P and Y act on the inflammatory, migratory, and proliferation phases, and growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor family (VEGF) and placental growth factor family (PGF) are involved in angiogenesis, while the role of Fibroblast growth factor in tissue remodeling is discussed. As many of the natural products include polyherbal systems, this approach can help in the judicious selection of a combination of herbs that will act on multiple targets in the wound healing process and provide a multi-factorial approach in wound management.

Galectin expression in healing wounded skin treated with low-temperature plasma: Comparison with treatment by electronical coagulation

Low-temperature plasma is useful for the care of wounded skin. It accelerates wound healing. However, the mechanism of this effect has not been fully elucidated yet. Galectin-1 is reported to accelerate wound healing via the Smad signaling pathway. In the present study to clarify whether or not galectins were expressed during the process of wound healing in the plasma-treated skin, we examined the effect of low-temperature plasma on galectin expression in the healing skin. We compared the effects of low-temperature plasma on the expression of galectin-1, -2, and -3 in the healing skin with those of electrocoagulation conducted with a high-frequency electrical coagulator. Immediately after the start of low-temperature plasma treatment following the incision made in the skin, a membrane-like structure was formed on the surface of the wound. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that these galectins were localized in the membrane-like structure of the plasma-treated skin. The expressions of these galectins were increased by the low-temperature plasma treatment, whereas they were inhibited by the electrocoagulation. These results suggest that galectins were involved in the wound healing of low-temperature plasma-treated skin. Galectins will thus be good markers for further examination of the effects of low-temperature plasma on the healing of wounded skin.

Scientific Evaluation of Pharmacological Treatment of Osteoarthritis in the Canon of Medicine

Osteoarthritis is the most common articular disease worldwide. Nonetheless, common osteoarthritis treatments are either not effective or associated with side effects. Now the materials derived from plants have found a relevant place in drug discovery. Until the mid-18th century, osteoarthritis in all medical schools worldwide had been managed as general arthritis. Avicenna, the famous scholar of Iranian traditional medicine has provided a long list of herbs that have been used traditionally to treat arthritis. To gain this worthy list, we searched his most famous medical masterpiece: Canon of Medicine. Some of these materials are investigated and employed by modern medicine. However, it is difficult to ignore that still more of these naturally occurring materials could be of use in modern medicine not only to prevent osteoarthritis progression but also osteoarthritis management as natural anti-inflammatory drugs.

Plantago lanceolata L. water extract induces transition of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and increases tensile strength of healing skin wounds

OBJECTIVES

Although the exact underlying mechanisms are still unknown, Plantago lanceolata L. (PL) water extracts are frequently used to stimulate wound healing and to drain abscesses. Therefore, in this experimental study the effect of PL water extract on skin wound healing was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats.

METHODS

Two excisional and one incisional skin wounds were performed on the back of each rat. Wounds were treated for three consecutive days with two different concentrations of the aqueous extract of PL. Rats were sacrificed 7, 14, and 21 days after surgery. Samples of wounds were processed for macroscopic (excisions - wound contraction measurement), biomechanical (incisions - wound tensile strength (TS) measurement) and histological examination (excisions).

KEY FINDINGS

It was shown that open wounds treated with PL extract contained myofibroblasts and demonstrated significantly higher contraction rates. Furthermore, significantly increased wound TSs were recorded in treated rats as a consequence of increased organization of extracellular matrix proteins, such as the collagen type 1.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that PL aqueous extract improves skin wound healing in rats. However, further research need to be performed to find optimal therapeutic concentration, and exact underlying mechanism prior obtained results may be introduced into the clinical practice.