Harnessing the anti-inflammatory, skin-protective, and antioxidant potential of Epilobium dodonaei extracts using in vitro and in silico approaches

The genusEpilobium is widely used for several purposes, including wound healing and the treatment of prostate cancer. In this context, we investigated one Epilobium member, namely, E. dodonaei extracts for antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, inflammation, oxidative stress and matrix degradation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human dermal fibroblasts (LPS + HDF). The extracts were also characterized by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF). In general, the methanol extract contained the highest phenolic (145.38 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g−1) and flavonoid (34.82 mg rutin equivalent (RE) g−1) content and exhibited the best antioxidant properties (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH):494.40 mg trolox equivalent (TE) g−1; cupric reducing antioxidant power (CUPRAC): 881.03 mg TE g; phosphomolybdenum assay: 3.48 mmol TE g−1) compared to the ethyl acetate and water extracts. The methanol and ethyl acetate extracts exhibited more substantial enzyme-inhibitory effects than the water extracts. Oenothein B, pedunculagin, galloyl glucose and ellagic acid were the predominant compounds based on the chemical profile. The Water-Soluble Tetrazolium 1 (WST-1) assay confirmed cell viability; protein synthesis of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factors, and of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ), was determined by western blot. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activities, which are involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis, were measured by gelatin zymography, and gene expression levels were measured. Cellular oxidative stress was assessed using the diacetyldichlorofluorescein (DCFDA) assay. The results suggest that E. dodonaei extracts may be considered potential phytotherapeutic agents to promote dermal healing with their multi-targeted anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.