Pycnogenol accelerates wound healing and reduces scar formation. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Pycnogenol accelerates wound healing and reduces scar formation.
Phytother Res. 2004 Jul;18(7):579-81. PMID: 15305320
Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Szent-Györgyi Albert Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, University of Szeged, Hungary. [email protected]
Pycnogenol was applied topically to experimental wounds inflicted on healthy rats by means of a branding iron. The wound-healing time was taken as the number of days required for 50% of the scabs to separate spontaneously from the animals. Application of a gel formulation containing 1% Pycnogenol significantly shortened the wound healing time, by 1.6 days compared with the group treated with gel only (15.4 days). The application of 2% Pycnogenol decreased the healing time by almost 3 days, while 5% Pycnogenol further accelerated the wound-healing process. In parallel, Pycnogenol gels reduced the diameter of the scars remaining following complete scab loss in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, Pycnogenol is a potent active ingredient for the treatment of minor injuries.