AUTHOR=Wasti Yusra , Muntaqua Durdana , Majid Muhammad , Naz Iffat , Zafar Aroosa , Khan Safir Ullah , Kazmi Syeda Tayyaba Batool , Rehman Tofeeq Ur , Irshad Nadeem , Fatima Humaira 

TITLE=Characterization and comparative evaluation of wound healing potential of Ajugarin I and Ajuga bracteosa Wall. ex Benth

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2023.1325578

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2023.1325578

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Ajuga bracteosa</italic> (family: Lamiaceae), commonly known as kauri booti, is an important ethnomedicinal plant. The current research was conducted to appraise and compare the <italic>in vitro</italic> antioxidant and antibacterial profiles as well as <italic>in vivo</italic> wound healing potentials of Ajugarin I and <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> extract. Ajugarin I and polyphenols in <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> were enumerated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis that confirmed significant amounts of Ajugarin I (2.2 ± 0.02 μg/mg DW) and other phenolic compounds (14 out of 17 standards). <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> (374.4 ± 0.20 µg AAE/mg of DW, 201.9 ± 0.20 µg AAE/mg of DW, 87 ± 0.30%) showed a higher antioxidant profile compared to Ajugarin I (221.8 ± 0.50 µg AAE/mg of DW, 51.8 ± 0.40 µg AAE/mg of DW, 27.65 ± 0.80%) with 1.86-, 3.89-, and 3.15-fold greater activity in ferric reducing antioxidant power, total antioxidant capacity, and free radical scavenging assays, respectively. Likewise, <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> showed antibacterial activity against 3/5 strains (MIC 25–200 μg/ml) than Ajugarin I (2/5 strains; MIC 50–200 μg/ml). Hemolytic (&lt;2% hemolysis) and dermal toxicity tests rendered both samples non-toxic. Additionally, <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> (100 ± 2.34% at day 12; 9.33 ± 0.47 days) demonstrated 1.11- and 1.24-fold higher percent wound contraction and epithelization time, respectively, than Ajugarin I (95.6 ± 1.52% at day 12; 11.6 ± 0.47 days) as assessed by an excision wound model in mice. Histopathological examination further reinforced the better wound healing potential of <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> with good epithelization, collagen synthesis, fibroblast proliferation, and revascularization. Briefly, we endorse the significant comparative antioxidant, antibacterial, and wound healing activities of <italic>A. bracteosa</italic> and Ajugarin I and present these as prospective candidates for wound healing drugs.</p>