Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. Flower and its Effect on Migration and Proliferation in Keratinocyte

Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. (EAP), belonging to the Compositae (Asteraceas) family, has been used in traditional herbal medicine and has many pharmacological activities. Recently, EAP essential oil has been reported to have diverse biological activities. However, its physiological activity on skin remains to be investigated. In the present study, we extracted the essential oil from the EAP flower (EAPF), and determined the role of the EAPF essential oil on skin regeneration-associated responses. especially proliferation and migration, using human epidermal-keratinocytes (HaCats). The essential oil was obtained by steam distillation in 0.08 % yield and contained twelve constituents, as assessed in GC-MS analysis. The EAPF essential oil stimulated proliferation and migration in HaCats, and increased the phosphorylation of serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. In addition, the essential oil promoted sprout outgrowth in HaCats. From these findings, we concluded that EAPF essential oil may facilitate skin regeneration by promoting migration and proliferation, probably mediated by the AKT and ERK1/2 pathways.