RESUMO
The essential oil of Cymbopogon winterianus (EOCW) is a natural product with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic properties. We studied the effect of EOCW in the progression of histological changes of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in a rodent model. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Intratracheal instillation of bleomycin was performed in 30 rats to induce PF, while Sham animals were subjected to instillation of saline solution. The treatment was performed using daily oral administration of distilled water, EOCW at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, and deflazacort (DFC). After 28 days, hemogram and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were assayed. Histological grading of PF, immunohistochemical expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) were also analyzed. The EOCW major compounds were found to be citronellal, geraniol, and citronellol. EOCW significantly reduced inflammation in BALF, reduced MDA levels, and increased SOD activity. EOCW attenuated histological grading of PF and reduced immunohistochemical expression of α-SMA and TGF-ß in a dose-dependent way, likely due to the reduction of oxidative stress, inflammation, and TGF-ß-induced myofibroblast differentiation.
RESUMO
Punica granatum Linn (pomegranate) extracts have been proposed for wound healing due to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this work, we designed biointeractive membranes that contain standard extracts of P. granatum for the purpose of wound healing. The used standard extract contained 32.24 mg/g of gallic acid and 41.67 mg/g of ellagic acid, and it showed high antioxidant activity (the concentration of the extract that produces 50% scavenging (IC50) 1.715 µg/mL). Compared to the gelatin-based membranes (GEL), membranes containing P. granatum extracts (GELPG) presented a higher maximal tension (p = 0.021) and swelling index (p = 0.033) and lower water vapor permeability (p = 0.003). However, no difference was observed in the elongation and elastic modulus of the two types of membranes (p > 0.05). Our wound-healing assay showed that a GELPG-treated group experienced a significant increase compared to that of the control group in their wound contraction rates on days 3 (p < 0.01), 7 (p < 0.001), and on day 14 (p < 0.001). The GELPG membranes promoted major histological changes in the dynamics of wound healing, such as improvements in the formation of granular tissue, better collagen deposition and arrangement, and earlier development of cutaneous appendages. Our results suggest that a biointeractive gelatin-based membrane containing P. granatum extracts has a promising potential application for dressings that are used to treat wounds.
