Wound repair and anti-inflammatory potential of Lonicera japonica in excision wound-induced rats

Abstract

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.

Lonicera japonicaTHUNB. Extract Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Inflammatory Responses by Suppressing NF-κB Signaling in BV-2 Microglial Cells

“…20,21 Recently, it was reported that LJ has anti-inflammatory properties in animal models of osteoarthritis and excision wounding. 22,23 For example, in these animal models, LJ was found to suppress a number of inflammation-related phenomena and the amount of cytokines produced, including TNF-a and IL-6. Moreover, LJ was shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in a carrageenaninduced paw edema inflammation model.…”

Evaluation of wound healing and antibacterial properties of methanolic root extract of <i>Stephania dinklagei</i> (Engl.) Diels

“…Non-significant difference in the hexosamine level of wound biopsy from animals in all the groups further suggest that the extract and the reference drug exerted comparable collagen stabilization and thus wound healing effect. Enhanced hydroxyproline and hexosamine synthesis provides strength to repaired tissue and stimulates healing (Chen et al, 2012).…”

“…The fact that the wound breaking strength of group I (20% MESDR) significantly increased when compared with group II and the control, suggest that 20% extract concentrations may have promoted collagen synthesis, fibroblast proliferation and neo-vascularization better than the 10% concentration and the reference drug. But the best method of assessing collagen turnover or synthesis is measuring the hydroxproline (the major amino acid component of collagen) and hexosamine level in wound biopsy (Chen et al, 2012). Increase in hydroxyproline content indicates increased collagen synthesis and invariably wound healing while increased hexosamine content reflects the stabilization of collagen molecules via enhanced electrostatic and ionic interactions (Ricard-Blum and Ruggiero, 2005; Chen et al, 2012).…”

“…Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., etc) bacteria constitute wound contaminants (Mboto et al, 2009; Abu-Al-Basal, 2010). The wound contaminating bacteria and infiltrating phagocytes release reactive oxygen species (ROS) (also called toxic oxidants or free radicals) which cause oxidative stress resulting in further damage to the wounded tissues thereby impeding healing process (Darr et al, 1994;Chen et al, 2012). Medical professionals use drugs that possess antibacterial and antioxidant activities in wound management (Udegbunam et al, 2014).…”

Analysis of the genetic diversity of Lonicera japonica Thumb. using inter-simple sequence repeat markers

“…has been used for thousands of years as traditional Chinese medicine owing to its bacteriostasis (Tang et al, 2008), antitumor (Liu et al, 2012), antioxidant (Gong et al, 2006), anti-endotoxin (Yang et al, 2012), antiinflammatory (Kang et al, 2004;Chen et al, 2012), antiviral (Yan et al, 1998), proimmune (Cui, 2011), and blood sugar-lowering effects (Liang et al, 2011). In commercial production, many species from the family Caprifoliaceae, including Lonicera similis Hemsl., Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz., Lonicera acuminata Wall., and Lonicera hypoglauca Miq., have been applied as Lonicera japonica.…”