title: Young coconut juice can accelerate the healing process of cutaneous wounds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estrogen has been reported to accelerate cutaneous wound healing. This research studies the effect of young coconut juice (YCJ), presumably containing estrogen-like substances, on cutaneous wound healing in ovairectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of female rats (6 in each group) were included in this study. These included sham-operated, ovariectomized (ovx), ovx receiving estradiol benzoate (EB) injections intraperitoneally, and ovx receiving YCJ orally. Two equidistant 1-cm full-thickness skin incisional wounds were made two weeks after ovariectomy. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the third and the fourth week of the study, and their serum estradiol (E2) level was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The skin was excised and examined in histological sections stained with H&E, and immunostained using anti-estrogen receptor (ER-α an ER-β) antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound healing was accelerated in ovx rats receiving YCJ, as compared to controls. This was associated with significantly higher density of immunostaining for ER-α an ER-β in keratinocytes, fibroblasts, white blood cells, fat cells, sebaceous gland, skeletal muscles, and hair shafts and follicles. This was also associated with thicker epidermis and dermis, but with thinner hypodermis. In addition, the number and size of immunoreactive hair follicles for both ER-α and ER-β were the highest in the ovx+YCJ group, as compared to the ovx+EB group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that YCJ has estrogen-like characteristics, which in turn seem to have beneficial effects on cutaneous wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, 90112, Thailand. nisaudah@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nisaudah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Radenahmad
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sayoh
authors.forename: Kitja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawangjaroen
authors.forename: Patchara
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Subhadhirasakul
authors.forename: Piyakorn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boonyoung
authors.forename: Wilart
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rundorn
authors.forename: Winyou
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mitranun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D003059:Cocos / Q000737:chemistry*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D028321:Plant Preparations