Evaluation of four traditional Romanian medicinal plants as wound healing agents

Achillea millefolium L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Equisetum arvense L. and Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, are four medicinal plants traditionally used in Romania for the treatment of skin disorders and wound healing. In order to support their use for new plant derived products the aim of this study was to evaluate their potential to stimulate the wound healing process. We investigated the four herbal extracts by HPLC-MS for the presence of polyphenolic compounds, we also assessed the antioxidant activity by the DPPH photometric method, BHT was used as positive control (1) and by Sircol assay we evaluated the rate of soluble collagen produced in cell culture medium by fibroblasts (cell line L-929) treated with various concentrations from 35µg/ml to 140µg/ml of herbal extract. The HPLC-MS analysis revealed the presence of antioxidant compounds, phenolic acids and flavonoids such as: rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, luteolin -7-O- D glucoside, apigenol 7-O- glucoside, rutin and apigenol. High antiradical capacity was detected in ethanolic extracts and flavonoids and phenolic acids may be reasonable. Collagen excretion was increased in culture medium of fibroblasts treated with herbal extracts when compared to the culture medium of untreated cells. At the highest concentration of herbal extract, the highest collagen synthesis was observed which was almost 2 times higher as compared to the synthesis of untreated cells. The current study explains the medicinal utility of these plants due to their antioxidant activity and to their ability to stimulate the collagen synthesis, activities that would accelerate the wound healing process.

Acknowledgement: This study was supported by Project PN II 62071

References: 1. Huang HJ, Cheng HJ (2005) Bot Bull Acad Sin 46: 99.