Biological Effects of Combining Ethanol Extract of Mord Leaf With Olive Oil on the Expression of Selected Growth Factors in Wound Healing of Male BALB/c Mice

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Antibiotic treatment is used to reduce the bioburden of wounds. Medicinal plants can be an alternative method for wound treatment. This study aims to investigate the effects of Myrtus communis (Mord) leaf extract combined with olive oil on the wound healing process and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) genes in BALB/c mice. Methods: The Mord leaf extract was mixed with olive oil in a volume ratio of 1:1. Thirty-six BALB/c male mice were divided into three groups of 12, including control, saline, and experimental. Then a 1×1 cm incision was made in their skin. On days 5, 10, 15, four mice from each group were randomly sacrificed and their skin samples were collected from the wound site. The real-time PCR method was used to measure the expression of four genes in the wound site. Statistical analysis was done by the analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The Mord leaf extract combined with olive oil increased the expression of VEGF, EGF, FGF-1, and IGF-1 genes (P<0.05). The effect was higher on the 15th day of the experiment. Conclusion: The increase in the expression of VEGF, EGF, FGF-1, and IGF-1 genes due to the treatment using the combination of Mord leaf extract and olive oil can accelerate the wound healing process.

Keywords

• myrtus communis
• wound healing
• olive oil
• genetics