Anti-Inflammatory and Histological Analysis of Skin Wound Healing through Topical Application of Mexican Propolis

Abstract

Skin wound healing is a complex biochemical process of tissue repair and remodeling in response to injury. Currently, the drugs used to improve the healing process are inaccessible to the population, are costly, and have side effects, making the search for new treatment alternatives necessary. Propolis is a natural product produced by bees that is widely recognized and used in folk medicine for its multiple biomedical activities. However, therapeutic information regarding Mexican propolis is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the wound-healing effect of the Chihuahua ethanolic extract of propolis (ChEEP). Macroscopic and histological analyses were performed using a mouse wound-healing model. The topic acute toxicity assay showed that propolis at 10% w/v had no toxic effects. ChEEP has antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Moreover, it exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity evaluated through mouse ear edema induced by 12-O-tetradeca-noylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). A full-thickness incision lesion was created in mice and treated topically with 10% ChEEP. At Day 14 post-treatment, it was observed that propolis increased wound contraction and reduced healing time and wound length; furthermore, propolis increased the tensile strength of the wound, as determined with the tensiometric method, and promoted the formation of type I collagen at the site of injury, as evaluated with Herovici stain. These findings suggest that the topical administration of ChEEP can improve skin wound healing, probably due to the synergistic effect of its components, mainly polyphenols, in different steps of the wound-healing process. It should be noted this is the first time that the wound-healing activity of a Mexican propolis has been evaluated.

Effect of Mexican Propolis on Wound Healing in a Murine Model of Diabetes Mellitus

“…Healing is the natural process that occurs in humans after they are wounded. This process is composed of various phases, from inflammation to remodelling [19], and normally results in an effective and visible scar; however, there are different factors that can interfere with this process, such as age, genetics, immunodeficiencies, poor nutrition, smoking and chronic degenerative diseases, such as DM [4,6].…”

“…In addition, oxidative stress is considered a precursor to senescence and cell death, prolonging inflammation and cell migration. Nonetheless, the presence of exogenous antioxidant agents, such as some secondary metabolites of plants, contributes to modulating the production and destruction of ROS [19,23,24].…”

“…Up to 300 compounds have been detected in propolis samples, mainly phenolic compounds, aliphatic acids, esters, aromatic acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, aldehydes, amino acids, ketones, chalcones, dihydrochalcones, terpenoids, vitamins and inorganic substances [17]. Several biomedical characteristics have been observed in propolis, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotic, healing, antiparasitic, anaesthetic, antitumour, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects, among others [18][19][20][21].…”

“…In a previous study [19], the acute topical toxicity of ChEEP was evaluated at two different concentrations. At 50%, ChEEP presented signs of topical toxicity, such as erythema, oedema and peeling starting on Day 14; however, at 10%, ChEEP did not cause signs of toxicity throughout the experiment.…”

Application of Biomaterials in the Development of Hydrogel-Forming Microneedles Integrated with a Cyclodextrin Drug Reservoir for Improved Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Telmisartan

“…After the exposure period, the skin samples were taken for histopathological examination for signs of irritation. Irritation signs were scored, ranging from 0 (no irritation) to 4 (severe irritation) , …”