J Appl Biomed 20:124-129, 2022 | DOI: 10.32725/jab.2022.014

Topical application of indigo-plant leaves extract enhances healing of skin lesion in an excision wound model in rats

Mohamed A. Saleh1, 2, Ahmed A. Shabaan2, 3, Michel May4, Youssif M. Ali5, 6 *
1 University of Sharjah, College of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Sharjah, The United Arab Emirates
2 Mansoura University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Mansoura, Egypt
3 Delta University for Science and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Gamasa City, Egypt
4 AIZOME, JM Mark Inc., Chicago, USA & Munich, Germany
5 University of Cambridge, School of Biological Sciences, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
6 Mansoura University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Mansoura, Egypt

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the pharmacological role of indigo extract in accelerating the wound healing in a rat model.

Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with ketamine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and the full thickness of the marked skin was then cut carefully and wounds were left undressed. Indigo extract (5%) in PBS was applied topically twice daily until healing was complete. A control group of rats was treated with povidone-iodide (Betadine®). Rats treated with phosphate buffer saline were used as a negative control group. The rate of wound healing was assessed daily. Histopathological examination of skin sections were qualitatively assessed by independent evaluators. The inflammatory and apoptotic markers were assessed in skin tissue homogenates using ELISA.

Results: Histopathology data showed that applying indigo to skin wounds enhanced the healing process, resulting in a significant decrease in dermal inflammation in comparison to untreated rats. Topical application of indigo significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities with reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in wound tissues. The levels of matrix metalloproteases-2 and -9 were significantly lower with an accompanied increase in the level of TGF-β1 in skin tissues from rats treated with indigo compared to the control group treated with PBS.

Conclusions: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of indigo leaf extract accelerate the healing of skin injuries.

Keywords: Excision wound model; Indigo; MMP-2; MMP-9; TGF-β1; Wound healing
Grants and funding:

This work was partially funded by © Aizome Bedding™ (JM Mark Inc.).

Conflicts of interest:

MM is employed by AIZOME (JM Mark Inc.), YA worked as a consultant at AIZOME (JM Mark Inc.).

Received: March 3, 2022; Revised: October 9, 2022; Accepted: November 3, 2022; Prepublished online: November 11, 2022; Published: December 20, 2022  Show citation

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Saleh MA, Shabaan AA, May M, Ali YM. Topical application of indigo-plant leaves extract enhances healing of skin lesion in an excision wound model in rats. J Appl Biomed. 2022;20(4):124-129. doi: 10.32725/jab.2022.014. PubMed PMID: 36708717.
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