Hindawi Publishing Corporation
ISRN Dermatology
Volume 2013, Article ID 168269, 8 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/168269
Research Article
Hemostatic and Wound Healing Properties of
Chromolaena odorata Leaf Extract
Hataichanok Pandith,
1,2
Xiaobo Zhang,
1
Jason Liggett,
1
Kyung-Won Min,
1
Wandee Gritsanapan,
2
and Seung Joon Baek
1,3
1
Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, Te University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
2
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Sri Ayutthaya Road, Ratchathewi,
Bangkok 10400, Tailand
3
Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee,
2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4542, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Wandee Gritsanapan; wandee.gri@mahidol.ac.th and Seung Joon Baek; sbaek2@utk.edu
Received 30 May 2013; Accepted 9 July 2013
Academic Editors: S.-C. Chao, C. Feliciani, P. D. Shenefelt, and Y. Tuzun
Copyright © 2013 Hataichanok Pandith et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Siam weed) extract has been used to stop bleeding and in wound healing in
many tropical countries. However, its detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we examined the molecular
mechanisms by which Siam weed extract (SWE) afected hemostatic and wound healing activities. SWE promoted Balb/c 3T3
fbroblast cell migration and proliferation. Subsequently, we found that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the accelerating wound healing
enzyme, was increased at the transcriptional and translational levels by SWE treatments. Te HO-1 promoter analyzed with
luciferase assay was also increased by treatment of SWE in a dose-dependent manner. Tis induction may be mediated by several
kinase pathways including MEK, p38MAPK, AKT, and JNK. Quantitative real-time PCR using undiferentiated promonocytic cell
lines revealed that thromboxane synthase (TXS), a potent vasoconstrictor and platelet aggregator, was increased and MMP-9, an
anti platelet aggregator, was decreased in the presence of SWE. Our studies presented that SWE accelerated hemostatic and wound
healing activities by altering the expression of genes, including HO-1, TXS, and MMP-9.
1. Introduction
Wound healing is an intricate process in which usually the
skin repairs itself afer injury. Te process is divided into
four overlapping phases: hemostasis (cessation of bleeding),
infammation, proliferation, and remodeling [1]. Hemostasis
is mainly controlled by thromboxane synthase (TXS), which
converts prostaglandin H
2
into thromboxane A
2
, a potent
vasoconstrictor and platelet aggregator [2]. Plasminogen acti-
vator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) also plays a role in hemostasis
by inhibition of fbrinolysis, which prevents failure of the
hemostatic process [3]. Subsequently, neutrophils release free
radicals to kill bacteria in the infammation phase [4, 5], and
heme and heme proteins also accumulate at the local site of
the wound. Tese heme and heme proteins have prooxidative
and proinfammatory properties by inducing the expression
of adhesion molecules, causing vascular permeability and
leukocyte infltration. Tese actions initiate wound healing
process. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has antiinfammatory
and antioxidant activities and is responsible for a wide
range of wound healing functions. It converts heme into
biliverdin/bilirubin, iron and carbon monoxide, which are
potent antioxidant products. Te overexpression of HO-1
helps to accelerate wound healing such as amelioration of
infammation, proliferation and protection against endothe-
lial cell apoptosis [6]. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) also
play a major role in wound healing by extracellular matrix
(ECM) remodeling [7], and MMP-9 is key efector among
those [8].
Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robin-
son) is a perennial scandent or semiwoody shrub in the Aster-
aceae family. It has been used for a variety of ailments in many