article · Plants
Chemical profiling of n-hexane extracts from Tamarindus indica bark, leaves, seeds, and fruits identified 113 metabolites, distinguishing the plant organs through multivariate statistical analysis. Lupeol was the most abundant compound in the bark and leaves, whereas seeds contained higher levels of n-docosanoic acid and methyl tricosanoate, and fruits were characterised by alpha-terpinyl acetate and alpha-muurolene. Biological assessments demonstrated anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activities across the extracts. Leaf extracts showed the strongest anti-inflammatory effect by significantly suppressing nitric oxide production in macrophage cells. In laboratory scratch assays, extracts from the bark, leaves, and seeds accelerated wound closure by promoting human skin fibroblast migration compared to control cells. Molecular docking further indicated strong binding affinities between major extract constituents, such as lupeol and methyl tricosanoate, and key enzymes regulating inflammation and tissue repair.
Impaired wound healing and chronic inflammation remain widespread therapeutic challenges. Demonstrating that specific organs of Tamarindus indica reduce inflammatory markers and accelerate skin cell migration provides biological evidence for their therapeutic potential. Identifying which parts of the plant contain active constituents also helps clarify how different plant tissues could be selected and processed to yield targeted, natural bioactive compounds.
This research could support pharmaceutical or dermatological companies exploring plant-based topical therapies for wound care and inflammatory skin conditions. However, the evidence remains at an early laboratory stage, relying on chemical profiling, computational docking, and in vitro cell assays. Extensive preclinical validation, formulation development, and clinical safety and efficacy trials would be needed before any commercial translation could occur.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The chemical composition of the n-hexane extract of Tamarindus indica’s various organs—bark, leaves, seeds, and fruits (TIB, TIL, TIS, TIF)—was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. A total of 113 metabolites were identified, accounting for 93.07, 83.17, 84.05, and 85.08 % of the total identified components in TIB, TIL, TIS, and TIF, respectively. Lupeol was the most predominant component in TIB and TIL, accounting for 23.61 and 22.78%, respectively. However, n-Docosanoic acid (10.49%) and methyl tricosanoate (7.09%) were present in a high percentage in TIS. However, α-terpinyl acetate (7.36%) and α-muurolene (7.52%) were the major components of TIF n-hexane extract. By applying a principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) to GC/MS-based metabolites, a clear differentiation of Tamarindus indica organs was achieved. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vitro on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, the wound healing potential for the n-hexane extract of various plant organs was assessed using the in-vitro wound scratch assay using Human Skin Fibroblast cells. The tested extracts showed considerable anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activities. At a concentration of 10 µg/mL, TIL showed the highest nitric oxide (NO) inhibition by 53.97 ± 5.89%. Regarding the wound healing potential, after 24 h, TIB, TIL, TIS, and TIF n-hexane extracts at 10 g/mL reduced the wound width to 1.09 ± 0.04, 1.12 ± 0.18, 1.09 ± 0.28, and 1.41 ± 0.35 mm, respectively, as compared to the control cells (1.37 ± 0.15 mm). These findings showed that the n-hexane extract of T. indica enhanced wound healing by promoting fibroblast migration. Additionally, a docking study was conducted to assess the major identified phytoconstituents’ affinity for binding to glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3-β), matrix metalloproteinases-8 (MMP-8), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Lupeol showed the most favourable binding affinity to GSK3-β and iNOS, equal to −12.5 and −13.7 Kcal/mol, respectively, while methyl tricosanoate showed the highest binding affinity with MMP-8 equal to −13.1 Kcal/mol. Accordingly, the n-hexane extract of T. indica’s various organs can be considered a good candidate for the management of wound healing and inflammatory conditions.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/plants12010087
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
