Inhibition of deleterious chronic wound enzymes with plant polyphenols

Abstract

The chronic wound environment is characterized by high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevated levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and collagenases, together impairing the healing process. Therefore, the management of chronic wounds at a molecular level requires the synergistic use of antioxidants, MPO and collagenase inhibitors to simultaneously target multiple factors from wound pathogenesis. In this study, a polyphenolic extract from Hamamelis virginiana plant, rich in condensed and hydrolysable oligomeric tannins, was evaluated as an inhibitor of MPO and collagenase. In addition to efficient scavengers of radical and non-radical reactive species, H. virginiana polyphenols were found to act as substrates in the MPO peroxidase cycle, preventing the accumulation of ROS in the chronic wound site. Furthermore, it was also found that the plant exerts an irreversible inhibitory effect on collagenase activity (IC₅₀ = 75 ± 10 μg/mL).

Keywords::

• Hamamelis virginiana
• phenolic compounds
• chronic wounds
• myeloperoxidase
• collagenase

Acknowledgements

María Díaz González is grateful to Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya for a Postdoctoral research contract. This work was supported by the European Lidwine project (FP6-026741-2).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.