The effect of Korean Red Ginseng on full-thickness skin wound healing in rats

BACKGROUND: Panax ginseng is regarded as one of the best compounds for promoting health, and it has been used traditionally as a medicinal herb. Recently, Korean Red Ginseng (RG) has been shown to protect skin from aging and wrinkling; it can also relieve atopic dermatitis and allergy symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate RG's effects on the regeneration of the full-thickness skin wounds in rat. METHODS: Full-thickness skin wounds were generated in rats, and then RG was administered either orally or topically. The wound-healing effects of RG were investigated by assessing wound size, mRNA expression patterns of genes related to wound healing, histological staining, and measurements of lipid, moisture, and elasticity in skin tissues. RESULTS: The wound size was smaller, and tissue regeneration rate was faster in the RG-treated group than that in the control group on days 15 and 20 after initiating treatment. On postoperative day 20, skin lipid and moisture content had increased significantly in the RG-treated group. Significant increases in the gene expression levels of transforming growth factor-β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor were found in the RG group during the early stages of wound healing. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 showed significant increases in gene expression levels on day 20. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that RG may promote healing of full-thickness skin wounds in rats. They also provided basic insights into the effects of RG on skin regeneration, supporting its use as a dressing material for wound treatment and its development as a functional food.