<i>Agrimonia eupatoria</i> L. Aqueous Extract Improves Skin Wound Healing: An <i>In Vitro</i> Study in Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes and <i>In Vivo</i> Study in Rats
Tomáš Vasilenko, Ivan Kováč, Martin Slezák, Ján Ďurkáč, Vlasta Peržeľová, Matúš Čoma, Miriam Kaňuchová, Lukáš Urban, Pavol Szabó, Barbora Dvořánková, A Vrzgula, Robert Zajíček, Karel Smetana, Péter Gál
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: We have previously shown that the water extract of Agrimonia eupatoria L. (AE) is a valuable source of polyphenols with excellent antioxidant properties and has clinical potential for the prevention and/or adjuvant therapy of cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes. Inspired by our previously published data, in the present study we examined whether AE improves skin wound healing in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In detail, we investigated the ability of the AE extract to induce fibroblast to myofibroblast conversion, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and keratinocyte proliferation/differentiation, in vitro. In parallel, in an animal model, we measured wound tensile strength (TS) and assessed the progression of open wounds using basic histology and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: The AE extract induced the myofibroblast-like phenotype and enhanced ECM deposition, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the wound TS of skin incisions and the contraction rates of open excisions were significantly increased in the AE-treated group. CONCLUSION: The present data show that AE water extract significantly improves the healing of open and sutured skin wounds. Therefore, our data warrant further testing in animal models that are physiologically and evolutionarily closer to humans.