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Summary
Wound healing is a dynamic process involving different cell types with distinct roles according to the stages of healing. Fibroblasts and stem cells actively participate in tissue regeneration. A proper stimulation could contribute to enhance wound healing processes. Helichrysum italicum (H. italicum) is a medical plant well described for its pharmacological, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Aim of the present work was to examine the effect of the hydrolate derivate from H. italicum on stem cells isolated from skin and fibroblasts in vitro in presence or absence of tissue damage. The viability and proliferation of all cell types cultured in different conditions were analyzed by MTT and BrdU assays. Cell proliferation after wound was analyzed with scratch test. Also, the expression of the main genes involved in tissue repair was evaluated by RT-qPCR analysis. Here we describe the capability of hydrolate of H. italicum to promote tissue regeneration after scratch test both in stem cells and in fibroblasts. Moreover, the gene expression analysis revealed that, hydrolate of H. italicum is also able to enhance stemness related. In conclusion our results are encouraging, highlighting novel regenerative properties of hydrolate of H. italicum and paving the way for future application of this wasting product in accelerating wound healing.
Keywords
Stem cells * Fibroblasts * Tissue regeneration * Wound healing * molecular mechanisms * Helichrysum itaiicum * Phytochemistry * Skin * Plants * Bioactive molecules
Introduction
Wound healing is a dynamic process in the human body resulting in a specific sequence of regulated events. It depends on many mediators and involves the spatial and temporal synchronization of different cell types with distinct roles according to the stages of healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling [1,2,3]. The main goal in wound healing is to heal the wound as quickly as possible [4]. The processes follow each other temporally but may also overlap [5], and all cellular events must be closely coordinated to effectively repair damaged tissue [6]. Several factors can influence the wound healing process: gender, age, hormones, stress, diabetes, obesity, infections, medications, alcoholism, smoking, and diet [7,8]. From the late inflammatory phase to final epithelialization, fibroblasts play a crucial role by secreting growth factors, cytokines, collagens, and other extracellular matrix (ECM) components [9,10]. At the same...