Wound healing activity: A novel benefit of pyroligneous extract derived from pyrolytic palm kernel shell wood vinegar

Typical wood vinegar possesses very weak biological activities. The extracting enrichment yielded the so-called pyroligneous extract which could enhance bioactivities to potential benefit. The study aimed at the cell-based assessment of wound healing activity of pyroligneous extract from pyrolytic palm kernel shell wood vinegar. Tests for cytotoxicity and the effect on tissue reconstruction including cell growth/migration were done on keratinocytes whereas fibroblasts were employed to investigate the effect on collagen synthesis. Keratinocytes with hydrogen peroxide exposure and macrophages with nitric oxide radical-synthetic induction were used to evaluate the extract’s effect on the cell survival due to oxidative stress. Inflammatory induced macrophages were subjected to examine its effect on m-RNA expression of some underline inflammatory mediators. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was found that keratinocyte cells tolerated very well at the extract concentration of 62.5 μg/mL with 94% viability. At 50.0 μg/mL, pyroligneous extract significantly induced cell growth/migration and increased collagen synthesis. It highly protected the cells from oxidative stress with high cellular NOˑ-synthesis inhibition. The extract at 50.0 μg /mL-level significantly inhibited m-RNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, and iNOS where the inhibitory activities were significantly higher than those of 10 μM dexamethasone. It exhibited antibacterial activity which favored bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic. The current study successfully demonstrated that pyroligneous extract from palm kernel shell wood vinegar possessed promising wound healing activity in vitro.