Wound healing activities of standardized pomegranate rind extract and its major antioxidant ellagic acid in rat dermal wounds

J Nat Med. 2014 Apr;68(2):377-86. doi: 10.1007/s11418-013-0813-9. Epub 2014 Jan 10.

Abstract

The in vivo wound healing potential of a standardized pomegranate rind extract (SPRE) and its major antioxidant constituent, ellagic acid (EA, 13 %, w/w), were investigated in three rat dermal wound models. It was found that both SPRE (5 and 2.5 %) and its equivalent amount of EA (0.65 and 0.325 %) increased the tensile strength of the incision wound by a maximum of 35.43 and 31.82 %, respectively. SPRE at 5 and 2.5 % accelerated wound contraction of the excision wound and the burn wound, while EA was effective only at 0.65 % in these two wound models. Further assays revealed that SPRE enhanced the synthesis of collagen by a maximum of 21.83 mg/g and inhibited neutrophil infiltration dose-dependently, while EA was not effective in increasing collagen accumulation and its inhibitory effect on neutrophil infiltration was milder. These results indicated that SPRE is a promising phytopharmaceutical effective in facilitating the healing of wounds and is superior to its marker compound EA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Dermis / drug effects
  • Dermis / pathology
  • Ellagic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Lythraceae / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Plant Extracts
  • Ellagic Acid