Component analysis of polyherbal repair recipe and its pharmacological mechanisms in burn wound healing

The Jiusheng Wound Repair Recipe (JSWR), a folk prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has been used clinically for treating burns and scalds with notable efficacy. However, its chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear.

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was utilized to analyze JSWR's chemical composition. A wound healing model in Kunming mice assessed the effects of JSWR on healing rates, collagen synthesis, angiogenesis, and inflammation through histological and immunohistochemical techniques. Potential pharmacological mechanisms were explored by metabolomic analysis.

All 530 components were identified or characterized in JSWR. It significantly accelerated wound healing and reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels. The expression of CD31 and collagen I and III were enhanced, while COX-2 expression was reduced. 19 critical metabolites and key metabolic pathways were explored by metabolomics.

JSWR effectively promoted wound healing through enhancing collagen deposition and angiogenesis, and by inhibiting inflammation. Further exploration of mechanisms would be valuable to the application and development of JSWR.