AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF CENTELLA ASIATICA AS A POTENTIAL ANTI-KELOID AGENT

Centella asiatica (CA) is a reputed medicinal plant that has been shown to have pharmacological effect on skin wound healing. The aim of the study was done to assess the effects of aqueous extract of CA on human dermal fibroblasts in an in vitro model of wound healing. Dermal fibroblasts were cultured with or without supplementation of aqueous extract of CA. Viability and proliferation of the fibroblasts cells were determined by MTT assay and cell cycle were analyzed by flowcytometry. In-vitro re-epithelization was assessed by scratch assay and migration rate was evaluated quantitatively by image analyzer. Gene expression of type I collagen, type III collagen, fibronectin and SMAA2 were studied via real-time RT-PCR. Supplementation with the aqueous extract of CA inhibited the fibroblasts’ proliferation significantly (p<0.05) at high concentration. Moreover, it also inhibited fibroblasts’ migration across the denuded area significantly (p<0.05) at a concentration of 194.15 μg/mL (IC₅₀) when it was compared to the control. The gene expression of type I collagen, type III collagen, fibronectin and SMAA2 decreased with increasing concentration of aqueous extract of CA. However, supplementation of aqueous extract of CA did not alter the cell cycle even at high concentrations. In conclusion, CA has a potential to be used as an anti-keloid agent as it down regulates the gene expression of type I collagen, type III collagen, fibronectin and SMAA2. These genes are found to be up regulated in keloid scars.