HPLC- and NMR-Based Chemical Profiling, Wound-Healing Potential, Anti-Inflammatory and Antibacterial Activities of Satureja pilosa (Lamiaceae), a Neglected Medicinal–Aromatic Herb

Abstract

Satureja pilosa Velen. (Lamiaceae) is a perennial and melliferous aromatic–medicinal subshrub which is range-restricted in adjacent parts of Greece and Bulgaria and locally in Italy, known in Northern Greece as wild oregano (“agriorigani”) and traditionally collected from the wild for culinary purposes. Since the ethnopharmacological data and modern biological activities of Satureja spp. suggest promising applications in skin conditions, the present study aimed to investigate the hitherto unknown phenolic content of cultivated S. pilosa and its potential biological activities, focusing mainly on wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effects. An HPLC-PDA-MS-targeted phytochemical investigation, along with NMR, allowed for the isolation and characterization of the main constituents, resulting in 18 compounds. Representative extracts and purified compounds were tested for wound-healing activity on NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. The butanol extract exhibited a significantly higher cell migration rate (73.4%) compared to aqueous (50.6%) and methanolic (49.6%) ones, enhancing the cell migration more rapidly at both concentration levels, whilst rosmarinic acid was the most potent among the isolated compounds, with a migration rate of 64.0% at the concentration level of 10−5 mg/mL, followed by 3,4-dihydrophenyllactic acid (54.7%). Moreover, potential effects on endothelial activation processes were explored, including the leukocyte–endothelial cell interaction during inflammatory processes and the migratory capacity during angiogenic actions, since these processes are commonly associated with skin diseases. Finally, extracts and purified compounds demonstrated weak antibacterial potential against two important pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), suggesting that further investigation is warrented.