Background: Eugenia pruniformis is an endemic species from Brazil. Eugenia genus has flavonoids as one of the remarkable chemical classes which are related to the improvement of the healing process.
Aims: To evaluate of wound healing activity of E. pruniformis leaves and to identify and quantify its main flavonoids compounds.
Materials and methods: Wound excision model in rats was used to verify the hydroethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts potential. The animals were divided in four groups of six and the samples were evaluated until the 15° day of treatment. Hydroxyproline dosage and histological staining with hematoxilin-eosin and Sirius Red were used to observe the tissue organization and quantify the collagen deposition, respectively. Chemical compounds of the ethyl acetate extract were identified by chromatographic techniques and mass spectrometry analysis and total flavonoids content was determined by spectrophotometric method. The antioxidant activity was determined by oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylhydrate radical photometric (DPPH) assays.
Results: The treated group with the ethyl acetate extract showed collagen deposition increase, higher levels of hidroxyproline, better tissue reorganization and complete remodeling of epidermis. Quercetin, kaempferol and hyperoside were identified as main compounds and flavonoids content value was 43% (w/w). The ORAC value of the ethyl acetate extract was 0.81± 0.05 mmol TE/g whereas the concentration to produce 50% reduction of the DPPH was 7.05± 0.09 μg/mL.
Conclusion: The data indicate a wound healing and antioxidant activities of E. pruniformis. This study is the first report of flavonoids and wound healing activity of E. pruniformis.
Key messages: Eugenia pruniformis extract accelerates wound healing in skin rat model, probably due to its involvement with the collagen deposition increase, higher levels of hidroxyproline, dermal remodelling and potent antioxidant activity. Chemical standardization of the active wound healing extract was done. The total flavonoid content was 43% (w/w) and quercetin, kaempferol and hyperoside were identified as main compounds.
Summary: Wound excision model in rats showed the potential wound healing activity of E. pruniformis by collagen deposition increase, higher levels of hidroxyproline, better tissue reorganization and complete remodeling of epidermis.Flavonoids are the main compounds of the endemic E. pruniformis and quercetin, kaempferol and hyperoside were identified in ethyl acetate extract by TLC, HPLC-PDA and HRESI-MS analysis.The ethyl acetate extract of E. pruniformis showed a potent antioxidant activity by ORAC and DPPH assays Abbreviation used: NC: Negative control, PC: Positive control, CH: Crude hydroethanolic extract, EA: Ethyl acetate extract, TE: Trolox equivalent, mg: Milligram, mM: Millimolar, mL: Milliliter, HPLC-PDA: High performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector, HRESI-MS: High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis, TLC: Thin layer chromatography, ORAC: Oxygen radical absorbance capacity, w/v: Weight per volume.
Keywords: Eugenia pruniformis; flavonoids; myrtaceae; wound healing.