Chemical Composition of Salix koreensis Anderss Flower Absolute and Its Skin Wound Healing Activities In Vitro

Salix koreensis Anderss (SKA) has been used traditionally to treat inflammation, pain, and edema. SKA has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but no study has examined its effects on skin wound healing. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of the absolute extracted from SKA flower (SKAFAb) on skin wound healing-associated responses in keratinocytes. SKAFAb was produced using a solvent extraction method and its chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The effects of SKAFAb on HaCaT cells (a human epidermal keratinocyte cell line) were investigated using a Boyden chamber and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation, sprout outgrowth, immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent, and water-soluble tetrazolium salt assays. Sixteen constituents were identified in SKAFAb. SKAFAb promoted HaCaT cell proliferation, migration, and type I and IV collagen productions. SKAFAb increased sprout outgrowth and increased the phosphorylations of serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in HaCaT cells. These results indicate that SKAFAb promotes keratinocyte proliferation and migration, probably by activating Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, and induces collagen synthesis in keratinocytes. SKAFAb may be a promising material for promoting skin wound healing.