Biological studies on Brazilian plants used in wound healing.
OBJECTIVE
n-Hexanic and ethanolic extracts from twelve plants (Brugmansia suaveolens Brecht. et Presl., Eupatorium laevigatum Lam., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Iresine herbstii Hook., Kalanchöe tubiflora Hamet-Ahti, Petiveria alliacea L., Pluchea sagittalis (Lam.) Cabrera, Piper regnellii DC., Schinus molle L., Sedum dendroideum Moç et Sessé ex DC., Waltheria douradinha St. Hill., Xanthium cavanillesii Schouw.) used in traditional South Brazilian medicine as wound healing agents were investigated in various biological assays, targeting different aspects in this complex process.


METHODS
The extracts were investigated on NF-kappaB DNA binding, p38alpha MAPK, TNF-alpha release, direct elastase inhibition and its release as well as on caspase-3. Fibroblasts migration to and proliferation into the wounded monolayers were evaluated in the scratch assay, the agar diffusion test for antibacterial and the MTT assay for cytotoxic effects.


RESULTS
The hydrophilic extracts from Galinsoga parviflora, Petiveria alliacea, Schinus molle, Waltheria douradinha and Xanthium cavanillesii as well as the lipophilic extract of Waltheria douradinha turned out to be the most active ones.


CONCLUSIONS
These results increase our knowledge on the wound healing effects of the investigated medicinal plants. Further studies are necessary to find out the effective secondary metabolites responsible for the observed effects.
Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
C
C
Schmidt
M
M
Fronza
M
M
Goettert
F
F
Geller
S
S
Luik
E M M
EM
Flores
C F
CF
Bittencourt
G D
GD
Zanetti
B M
BM
Heinzmann
S
S
Laufer
I
I
Merfort
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001938:Brazil; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003603:Cytotoxins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D053148:Caspase 3