This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effects of topical chlorogenic acid on excision wounds in Wistar rats. A 1 % (w/w) chlorogenic acid or silver sulfadiazine ointment was applied topically once a day for 15 days on full-thickness excision wounds created on rats. The 1 % (w/w) chlorogenic acid ointment had potent wound healing capacity as evident from the wound contraction on the 15th post-surgery day, which was similar to that produced by 1 % (w/w) silver sulfadiazine ointment. Increased rates of epithelialization were observed in the treated rats. It also improved cellular proliferation, increased tumor necrosis factor-α levels during the inflammatory phase (12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-wounding) of wound healing, upregulated transforming growth factor-β1 and elevated collagen IV synthesis in the chlorogenic acid-treated group. The results also indicated that chlorogenic acid possesses potent antioxidant activity by increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione, and decreasing lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that topical application of chlorogenic acid can accelerate the process of excision wound healing by its ability to increase collagen synthesis through upregulation of key players such as tumor necrosis factor-α and transforming growth factor-β1 in different phases of wound healing as well as by its antioxidant potential.

BackgroundLonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae), a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant, is used to treat some infectious diseases and it may have uses as a healthy food and applications in cosmetics and as an ornamental groundcover. The ethanol extract of the flowering aerial parts of L. japonica (LJEE) was investigated for its healing efficiency in a rat excision wound model.MethodsExcision wounds were inflicted upon three groups of eight rats each. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction in skin wound sites in rats treated with simple ointment base, 10% (w/w) LJEE ointment, or the reference standard drug, 0.2% (w/w) nitrofurazone ointment. The effects of LJEE on the contents of hydroxyproline and hexosamine during healing were estimated. The antimicrobial activity of LJEE against microorganisms was also assessed. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of LJEE was investigated to understand the mechanism of wound healing.ResultsLJEE exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Candida tropicalis. The ointment formulation prepared with 10% (w/w) LJEE exhibited potent wound healing capacity as evidenced by the wound contraction in the excision wound model. The contents of hydroxyproline and hexosamine also correlated with the observed healing pattern. These findings were supported by the histopathological characteristics of healed wound sections, as greater tissue regeneration, more fibroblasts, and angiogenesis were observed in the 10% (w/w) LJEE ointment-treated group. The results also indicated that LJEE possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity, as it enhanced the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines that suppress proinflammatory cytokine production.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of LJEE act synergistically to accelerate wound repair.

L-Mimosine, an iron chelator and a prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitor, blocks many cancer cells at the late G1 phase. B-cell translocation gene 2 (Btg2) regulates the G1/S transition phases of the cell cycle. N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) is a differentiation-inducing gene upregulated by hypoxia. We evaluated the molecular mechanisms of L-mimosine on cell cycle modulation in PC-3 and LNCaP prostate carcinoma cells. The effect of L-mimosine on cell proliferation of prostate carcinoma cells was determined by the [3H]thymidine incorporation and flow cytometry assays. L-Mimosine arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase in PC-3 cells and at the S phase in LNCaP cells, thus attenuating cell proliferation. Immunoblot assays indicated that hypoxia and L-mimosine stabilized hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and induced Btg2 and Ndrg1 protein expression, but downregulated protein levels of cyclin A in both PC-3 and LNCaP cells. L-Mimosine treatment decreased cyclin D1 protein in PC-3 cells, but not in LNCaP cells. Dimethyloxalylglycine, a pan-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, also induced Btg2 and Ndrg1 protein expression in LNCaP cells. The transient gene expression assay revealed that L-mimosine treatment or cotransfection with HIF-1α expression vector enhanced the promoter activities of Btg2 and Ndrg1 genes. Knockdown of HIF-1α attenuated the increasing protein levels of both Btg2 and Ndrg1 by hypoxia or L-mimosine in LNCaP cells. Our results indicated that hypoxia and L-mimosine modulated Btg2 and Ndrg1 at the transcriptional level, which is dependent on HIF-1α. L-Mimosine enhanced expression of Btg2 and Ndrg1, which attenuated cell proliferation of the PC-3 and LNCaP prostate carcinoma cells.

Biodiesel, a non-toxic and biodegradable fuel, has recently become a major source of renewable alternative fuels. Utilization of lipase as a biocatalyst to produce biodiesel has advantages over common alkaline catalysts such as mild reaction conditions, easy product separation, and use of waste cooking oil as raw material. In this study, Pseudomonas cepacia lipase immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) was used for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. The optimal dosage of lipase-bound MNP was 40% (w/w of oil) and there was little difference between stepwise addition of methanol at 12 h- and 24 h-intervals. Reaction temperature, substrate molar ratio (methanol/oil), and water content (w/w of oil) were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal reaction conditions were 44.2 °C, substrate molar ratio of 5.2, and water content of 12.5%. The predicted and experimental molar conversions of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were 80% and 79%, respectively.

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