A Scoping Review on the Therapeutic Potential of Resin From the Species Larix decidua Mill. [Pinaceae] to Treat Ulcerating Wounds

Abstract

Malignant ulcerating wounds or neoplastic lesions are a considerable burden for patients suffering from advanced cancer. These wounds have no effective treatment and are very difficult to manage. The present review summarizes evidence in support of a hypothesis put forward in anthroposophic medicine, which suggests a beneficial role of resin from the species Larix decidua Mill. [Pinaceae] for treating such wounds. A systematic search strategy was performed using the databases PubMed, EMBASE and SciFinder. The included publications described the chemical composition of this species, as well as in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo experiments using plant extracts and isolated compounds. The results show that among the phytochemical classes, terpenoids were the major components of this species, especially in the resin. The summarized biological experiments revealed antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, with promising potential for the extracts and isolated compounds. However, the molecular mechanisms and toxicological effects are as of yet not conclusively evaluated. From the data of our study, we can conclude that L. decidua might indeed have a promising potential for the treatment of malignant wounds, but definitive information that can prove its effectiveness is still lacking. We therefore suggest that future efforts should be dedicated to the evaluation of L. decidua resin's therapeutic use considering its antiseptic action and proposed wound healing properties.

Characterization of Larix decidua Mill. (Pinaceae) oleoresin’s essential oils composition using GC-MS

“…Most compounds have been previously described for L. decidua ( Batista et al., 2022 ), although a few new ones were identified in this study. These were α-pinene-oxide (17), α-phellandren-8-ol (23), δ–elemene (38), cyclosative (43), ylangene (44), and butylated hydroxytoluene (57).…”

“…This oleoresin, rich in useful compounds, has been employed in various industries, from traditional medicine to perfumery and beyond ( Lagoni, 2012 ). Our recent review showed that a lot is known about the species’ phytochemical composition, but only little is known about the oleoresin’s composition and biological properties ( Batista et al., 2022 ).…”

VOLKSMED Database: A Source for Forgotten Wound Healing Plants in Austrian Folk Medicine

“…The chemical composition of different parts of A. alba, L. decidua, and P. abies is well investigated [74][75][76][77][78][79][80]. The database contains the usage of needles and shoot tips of European silver fir and Norway spruce.…”

“…Even though the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products from the European Medicines Agency approved the use of the resin of L. decidua for wound healing in animals due to its long history of safe topical application [87], only scarce data about its in vitro and in vivo activities is available. Substances contained in the resin of European larch contribute to an overall wound healing effect through anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity [74]. In vitro, the balm exhibits a pro-migratory effect on keratinocytes in a wound healing assay [73].…”