Seed oil of Joannesia princeps improves cutaneous wound closure in experimental mice

Joannesia princeps (Cotieira) is a well known medicinal plant in Brazil, however, the therapeutic effects of oil obtained from its seeds have still not been demonstrated. The beneficial effects of J. princeps seed oil on cutaneous wound healing on the back of experimental mice were investigated. An excisional lesion in male Swiss mice (n=20 per group) was topically treated with mineral oil or J. princeps seed oil once a day beginning on the day of lesion until the third day after wounding. Animals were killed and lesions collected after 14 days. Murine skin fibroblast cultures were treated with J. princeps seed oil and fibroblast activity was evaluated. In the in vivo assay, J. princeps seed oil increased wound contraction and migratory tongue length, but reduced neutrophil and macrophage number when compared with the control group. Blood vessel number, collagen deposition, and VEGF levels were increased in treated lesions when compared with control lesions. However, J. princeps seed oil reduced myofibroblast density and carbonyl protein levels when compared with the control group. In the in vitro assay, treatment with J. princeps seed oil increased fibroblast migration and proliferation, but reduced myofibroblastic differentiation in vitro. In conclusion, J. princeps seed oil accelerates wound closure increasing angiogenesis, keratinocyte migration, and fibroblast activity while reducing inflammatory response and oxidative damage.