title: Effect of polysaccharides from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) cladodes on the healing of dermal wounds in the rat.
abstract: In traditional medicine extracts of polysaccharide-containing plants are widely employed for the treatment of skin and epithelium wounds and of mucous membrane irritation. The extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes are used in folk medicine for their antiulcer and wound-healing activities. The present study describes the wound-healing potential of two lyophilized polysaccharide extracts obtained from O. ficus-indica (L.) cladodes applied on large full-thickness wounds in the rat. When topically applied for 6 days, polysaccharides with a molecular weight (MW)>10(4)Da from O. ficus-indica cladodes induce a beneficial effect on cutaneous repair in this experimental model; in particular the topical application of O. ficus-indica extracts on skin lesions accelerates the reepithelization and remodelling phases, also by affecting cell-matrix interactions and by modulating laminin deposition. Furthermore, the wound-healing effect is more marked for polysaccharides with a MW ranging 10(4)-10(6)Da than for those with MW>10(6)Da, leading us to suppose that the fine structure of these polysaccharides and thus their particular hygroscopic, rheologic and viscoelastic properties may be essential for the wound-healing promoter activity observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Catania, Italy. dtrombetta@pharma.unime.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trombetta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puglia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Licata
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pergolizzi
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lauriano
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Pasquale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saija
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Bonina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007797:Laminin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D029747:Opuntia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007797:Laminin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid