Bombax ceiba flower extract enhances antioxidant defense and wound healing effects in human keratinocytes and fibroblasts
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Context Wound healing requires coordinated keratinocyte and fibroblast migration, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and growth factor signaling. Disruption of these processes delays repair and impairs skin integrity. Bombax ceiba flower contains phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; however, its role in wound healing has not been elucidated.Objective This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and wound-healing potential of B. ceiba flower extract (BCFE) in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (Detroit 551).Materials & Methods BCFE was prepared by ethanolic extraction and tentatively profiled using LC-QTOF/MS. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity were determined using chemical assays, and intracellular ROS levels were measured in H2O2-stimulated HaCaT and Detroit 551 cells. Wound closure and collagen production were evaluated as indicators of wound repair in both cell types.Results LC-QTOF/MS tentatively identified gallic acid, epicatechin, rutin, quercetin, hesperetin, apigenin, and luteolin in BCFE. The extract had high phenolic (140.2 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (8.3 mg QE/g) contents. BCFE exhibited DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging capacity (IC50 values of 48.0 μg/mL and 33.4 μg/mL, respectively) and attenuated H2O2-induced intracellular ROS levels in HaCaT and Detroit 551 cells. Furthermore, BCFE enhanced wound closure in keratinocytes and fibroblasts, as well as promoted collagen production in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusions Collectively, BCFE promoted key cellular processes involved in wound repair, including antioxidant activity, wound closure, and collagen synthesis. These results support the potential role of B. ceiba flowers in skin wound repair.
Source: Pharmaceutical Biology
Institutions: Chiang Mai University, Payap University
Language: English
Topic: Wound Healing and Treatments
Subfield: Rehabilitation
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,557
OpenAlex ID: W7154733217