Investigation of Antioxidant and In Vitro Wound Healing Activity of Fulvic Acid

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and in vitro wound healing activities of fulvic acid (FA) purified from Hüsamlar leonardite in Muğla/Turkey. Purified FA was analyzed with FT/IR spectrophotometer and flame photometer for determining functional groups and cation impurities, respectively. 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 μg mL-1 concentrations of FA were tested for antioxidant activity (by using DPPH radical scavenging and H2O2 scavenging assays). Also, effect of FA on BJ human foreskin fibroblast and HaCaT spontaneously immortalized non-tumorigenic human keratinocyte cells proliferation was tested by in vitro MTT and WST-8 assays and on cell migration by wound healing assay (scratch assay). The results of the study show that the FA has a low DPPH radical scavenging activity, but it exhibited high H2O2 scavenging activity at low concentrations. The effect of FA on the proliferation of BJ and HaCaT cells varied according to the cell type, FA concentration and treatment time. However, it accelerated wound healing by increasing cell migration, especially in HaCaT cells. 1 and 10 μg mL-1 FA had a significant wound healing effect on BJ cells, and all concentrations of FA had a significant wound healing effect on HaCaT cells at the end of the 24 h treatments.