Fibroblast proliferation and migration in wound healing by phytochemicals: Evidence for a novel synergic outcome

Wound-healing is a dynamic skin reparative process that results in a sequence of events, including inflammation, proliferation, and migration of different cell types as fibroblasts. Fibroblasts play a crucial role in repairing processes, from the late inflammatory phase until the fully final epithelization of the injured tissue. Within this context, identifying tools able to implement cell proliferation and migration could improve tissue regeneration. Recently, plants species from all over the world are coming out as novel tools for therapeutic applications thanks to their phytochemicals, which have antioxidant properties and can promote wound healing. In this paper, we aimed at investigating antioxidant activity of waste extracts from different medicinal plants, endemic of the Mediterranean area, on fibroblast proliferation and wound healing. We determined the amount of total phenols and anti-oxidant activity by ABTS assay. We then evaluated the cytotoxicity of the compounds and the proliferative capabilities of fibroblasts by scratch assay. Our results showed that waste extracts retain antioxidant and regenerative properties, inducing tissue re-establishment after environmental stress exposure. Taken together, our findings suggest that waste material could be used in the future also in combinations to stimulate wound healing processes and antioxidant responses in damaged skin

Smart nanofibers with natural extracts prevent senescence patterning in a dynamic cell culture model of human skin

Natural cosmetic products have recently re-emerged as a novel tool able to counteract skin aging and skin related damages. In addition, recently achieved progress in nanomedicine opens a novel approach yielding from combination of modern nanotechnology with traditional treatment for innovative pharmacotherapeutics. In the present study, we investigated the antiaging effect of a pretreatment with Myrtus communis natural extract combined with a polycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffold (NanoPCL-M) on skin cell populations exposed to UV. We set up a novel model of skin on a bioreactor mimicking a crosstalk between keratinocytes, stem cells and fibroblasts, as in skin. Beta-galactosidase assay, indicating the amount of senescent cells, and viability assay, revealed that fibroblasts and stem cells pretreated with NanoPCL-M and then exposed to UV are superimposable to control cells, untreated and unexposed to UV damage. On the other hand, cells only exposed to UV stress, without NanoPCL-M pretreatment, exhibited a significantly higher yield of senescent elements. Keratinocyte-based 3D structures appeared disjointed after UV-stress, as compared to NanoPCL-M pretreated samples. Gene expression analysis performed on different senescence associated genes, revealed the activation of a molecular program of rejuvenation in stem cells pretreated with NanoPCL-M and then exposed to UV. Altogether, our results highlight a future translational application of NanoPCL-M to prevent skin aging

Extracts from Myrtle Liqueur Processing Waste Modulate Stem Cells Pluripotency under Stressing Conditions

Nutraceuticals present in food are molecules able to exert biological activity for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, in form of pharmaceutical preparations, such as capsules, cream, or pills. Myrtus communis L. is a spontaneous Mediterranean evergreen shrub, widely known for the liqueur obtained from its berries rich in phytochemicals such as tannins and flavonoids. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the properties of myrtle byproducts, residual of the industrial liqueur processing, in Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) induced at oxidative stress by in vitro H2O2 treatment. Cells were exposed for 12-24 and 48h at treatment with extracts and then senescence-induced. ROS production was then determined. The real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of inflammatory cytokines and sirtuin-dependent epigenetic changes, as well the modifications in terms of stem cell pluripotency. The β-galactosidase assay was conducted to analyze stem cell senescence after treatment. Our results show that industrial myrtle byproducts retain a high antioxidant and antisenescence activity, protecting cells from oxidative stress damages. The results obtained suggest that residues from myrtle liqueur production could be used as resource in formulation of food supplements or pharmaceutical preparations with antioxidant, antiaging, and anti-inflammatory activity

Negative bone scintigraphy in wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis

Background: Amyloidosis is a rare systemic disease due to the extracellular tissue deposition of a fibrillar-shaped misfolded protein, called amyloid. Only two types of proteins commonly affect the heart leading to an infiltrative cardiomyopathy: immunoglobulin light chain and transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Despite the promising role of emerging imaging modalities, such as strain echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and bone scintigraphy, its diagnosis is still often missed or delayed due to their inherent limitations and to a nonspecific clinical scenario with frequent concomitance of cardiac comorbidities. The gold standard for a definite diagnosis still remains endomyocardial biopsy, but in rare cases Congo Red staining could provide false negative results, as in our case, requiring immunoelectron microscopy. Case presentation: A middle-aged male adult presented to the emergency department for relapse of heart failure. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance, along with the history of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, were suspicious for TTR-CA. The diagnosis, however, was hampered by concomitant cardiac comorbidities and conflicting results of imaging modalities. In fact bone scintigraphy was negative, as well as Congo Red Staining on myocardial tissue samples obtained by endomyocardial biopsy. Given the high clinical suspicion, immunoelectron microscopy was performed, showing TTR amyloid fibrils deposits, that confirmed the diagnosis. A genetic analysis excluded and hereditary form. The patient was then referred to a specialist center for specific treatment. Conclusions: This is a rare case of a TTR-CA with a negative Bone Scintigraphy and Congo red staining, which demonstrated that CA is frequently misdiagnosed because of the low specific clinical manifestations and the results of imaging modalities that sometimes could be misleading, with subsequent delayed diagnosis and correct treatment

Targeted and untargeted mass spectrometric approaches in discrimination between Myrtus communis cultivars from Sardinia region

In the present study, the discrimination of phytochemical content of Myrtus communis berries from different geographical origin and cultivars was explored by Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Fourier Transform–Mass Spectrometry (LC–ESI–FT–MS) metabolic profiling and quantitative analysis. Experiments were carried on myrtle plants grown in an experimental area of Sardinia region, obtained by the germination of seeds taken from berries collected in each part of the region. A preliminary untargeted approach on fruit's extracts was realized by collecting LC–ESI–FT-(Orbitrap)-MS data obtained by operating in negative ion mode and performing principal component analysis with the result of differentiation of samples. In a second step, targeted analysis with a reduced number of variables was realized. A data matrix was obtained by the data fusion of positive and negative ionization LC–ESI–MS results, by using as variables the peak areas of each known compounds. By the observation of principal component analysis, results found that anthocyanins, and mainly derivatives of cyanidin, are the principal marker compounds responsive for the discrimination of samples based on the geographical origin of the seeds. Based on this finding, finally, an LC-diode array detector method was developed, validated and applied for the quantitative analysis of berries' extracts based on 11 commercial standard compounds corresponding to the identified markers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd