Journal Article

Beta-caryophyllene enhances wound healing through multiple routes

Purk, Anna, Novotny, Milos V., Kao, C. Cheng, Davis, Keith, Mescher, Anthony, Koyama, Sachiko, Matsunami, Hiroaki, Kaur, Manpreet, Soini, Helena A.

2019

Overview

Beta-caryophyllene is an odoriferous bicyclic sesquiterpene found in various herbs and spices. Recently, it was found that beta-caryophyllene is a ligand of the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). Activation of CB2 will decrease pain, a major signal for inflammatory responses. We hypothesized that beta-caryophyllene can affect wound healing by decreasing inflammation. Here we show that cutaneous wounds of mice treated with beta-caryophyllene had enhanced re-epithelialization. The treated tissue showed increased cell proliferation and cells treated with beta-caryophyllene showed enhanced cell migration, suggesting that the higher re-epithelialization is due to enhanced cell proliferation and cell migration. The treated tissues also had up-regulated gene expression for hair follicle bulge stem cells. Olfactory receptors were not involved in the enhanced wound healing. Transient Receptor Potential channel genes were up-regulated in the injured skin exposed to beta-caryophyllene. Interestingly, there were sex differences in the impact of beta- caryophyllene as only the injured skin of female mice had enhanced re-epithelialization after exposure to beta-caryophyllene. Our study suggests that chemical compounds included in essential oils have the capability to improve wound healing, an effect generated by synergetic impacts of multiple pathways.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Animals / Apoptosis / Behavior / Biology and Life Sciences / Brain research / Cannabinoid CB2 receptors / Caryophyllene / Cell growth / Cell migration / Cell Movement - drug effects / Cell proliferation / Cell Proliferation - drug effects / Chemical compounds / Diagnostic reagents industry / Essential oils / Female / Fibroblasts / Gender aspects / Gene expression / Genes / Hair Follicle - metabolism / Inflammation / Inflammation - drug therapy / Keratinocytes - metabolism / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Mice / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Mice, Knockout / Odorant receptors / Oils & fats / Organic chemistry / Pain / Physiology / Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology / Re-Epithelialization / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - drug effects / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - genetics / Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 - metabolism / Receptors / Sesquiterpenes - metabolism / Sex differences / Sex Factors / Skin / Skin - metabolism / Social Sciences / Sperm / Spices / Stem cell transplantation / Stem cells / Transient receptor potential proteins / Wound care / Wound healing / Wound Healing - drug effects / Wound Healing - physiology