Bioactive Compound in Essential Oils Enhances Wound Healing: Study

Beta-carophyllene, a bicyclic sesquiterpene found in lavender, rosemary and ylang ylang, as well as various herbs and spices, has the capability to improve wound healing, an effect generated by synergetic impacts of multiple pathways, a new study conducted in mice shows.

Beta-carophyllene, a compound included in essential oils, improves the healing process in mice when it is topically applied to a skin wound. Image credit: Marina Pershina.

“This is the first finding at the chemical-compound level showing improved wound healing in addition to changes in gene expression in the skin,” said study lead author Dr. Sachiko Koyama, a researcher in the School of Medicine at Indiana University.

“The way gene expression changed also suggests not only improved wound healing but also the possibility of less scar formation and a more full recovery.”

“It’s an example that essential oils work; however, it’s not through our sense of smell.”

Researchers recently discovered that beta-carophyllene is an activator of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2).

“An activation of CB2 will decrease pain, a major signal for inflammatory responses,” said Dr. Koyama and her colleagues from Indiana University and Duke University.

The researchers hypothesized that this compound can affect wound healing by decreasing inflammation.

In the study, cutaneous wounds of mice treated with beta-caryophyllene had enhanced re-epithelialization.

The scientists also observed increased gene expression of hair follicle stem cells in the treated tissue.

They did not find any involvement of the olfactory system in the wound healing.

“In the wound healing process, there are several stages, starting from the inflammatory phase, followed by the cell proliferation stage and the remodeling stage,” Dr. Koyama said.

“We thought maybe wound healing would be accelerated if inflammation was suppressed, stimulating an earlier switch from the inflammatory stage to the next stage.”

“This accelerated the wound healing process, but the resulting change in gene expression indicates that the improved healing is not merely achieved through activation of the CB2 receptor.”

“It’s possibly more complicated. Our findings suggest the involvements of some other routes in addition to CB2. I hope to clarify the mechanisms of action in the near future.”

“Although the study’s results are promising, we wouldn’t recommend that people start treating their injuries with just any essential oils, as our research applies to a very specific chemical compound with known purity, diluted in a specific concentration,” Dr. Koyama noted.

The study was publihsed in the journal PLoS ONE.

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S. Koyama et al. 2019. Beta-caryophyllene enhances wound healing through multiple routes. PLoS ONE 14 (12): e0216104; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216104