<i>Melissa officinalis</i> L. Aqueous Extract Exerts Antioxidant and Antiangiogenic Effects and Improves Physiological Skin Parameters
Simona Sipos,
Elena-Alina Moacă,
Ioana Zinuca Pavel,
Ştefana Avram,
Octavian Marius Crețu,
Dorina Coricovac,
Roxana-Marcela Racoviceanu,
Roxana Ghiulai,
Ramona Daniela Pană,
Codruţa Marinela Şoica,
Florin Borcan,
Cristina Adriana Dehelean,
Zorin Crăiniceanu
Affiliations
Simona Sipos
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Elena-Alina Moacă
Department of Toxicology and Drug Industry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Ioana Zinuca Pavel
Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Ştefana Avram
Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Octavian Marius Crețu
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Dorina Coricovac
Department of Toxicology and Drug Industry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Roxana-Marcela Racoviceanu
Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Roxana Ghiulai
Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Ramona Daniela Pană
Department VIII—Neuroscience, Discipline of Medical Deontology. Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Codruţa Marinela Şoica
Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Florin Borcan
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Cristina Adriana Dehelean
Department of Toxicology and Drug Industry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Zorin Crăiniceanu
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Sq. no. 2, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
Melissa officinalis (MO) is a medicinal plant well-known for its multiple pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer and beneficial effects on skin recovery. In this context, the present study was aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo safety profile of an MO aqueous extract by assessing cell viability on normal (HaCaT—human keratinocytes) and tumor (A375—human melanoma) cells and its impact on physiological skin parameters by a non-invasive method. In addition, the antioxidant activity and the antiangiogenic potential of the extract were verified. A selective cytotoxic effect was noted in A375 cells, while no toxicity was noticed in healthy cells. The MO aqueous extract safety profile after topical application was investigated on SKH-1 mice, and an enhanced skin hydration and decreased erythema and transepidermal water loss levels were observed. The in ovo CAM assay, performed to investigate the potential modulating effect on the angiogenesis process and the blood vessels impact, indicated that at concentrations of 100 and 500 µg/mL, MO aqueous extract induced a reduction of thin capillaries. No signs of vascular toxicity were recorded at concentrations as high as 1000 μg/mL. The aqueous extract of MO leaves can be considered a promising candidate for skin disorders with impaired physiological skin parameters.
