Biocompatibility, antimicrobial and wound healing activities of Lavandula dentata leaves extract

The human skin is a natural barrier that protects against external stress, but its physiological structure can be compromised when it gets damaged. In the field of medical science, wounds are a significant issue that requires immediate attention. Lavandula species are used in the food, perfume and cosmetics industries due to their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and woundhealing properties.

The present study was done to assess the biocompatibility, antimicrobial and wound-healing potential of L. dentata leave methanolic extract (LE) that is cultivated in the Taif region of Saudi Arabia. The biocompatibility of LE was analyzed against the normal human skin fibroblast (HSF) cell line using SRB assay. A quarter of LE IC₅₀ was used for wound healing assay. Finally, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes were used to determine LE antibacterial potential through the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) measurement.

LE appears safe on HSF cell line with IC₅₀ = 97 μg/mL. LE decreased wound width, wound area and the mean cell migratory rate of wound border cells during scratch closure, while increased the wound closure% in a time-dependent manner compared to negative control. LE shows antimicrobial potential against all four strains at MIC and MBC>3.0 mg/mL, except for Streptococcus pyogenes MIC= 3.0 mg/mL. In conclusion, LE offers therapeutic benefits against wound healing with an antimicrobial effect, however, higher concentrations of LE should be used to assess its effect.