Periplaneta Americana L. as a novel therapeutics accelerates wound repair and regeneration

TLDR

Kangfuxin (KFX), the ethanol extract of *Periplaneta Americana* L., has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for injury treatment, yet its effects across different wound stages remain incompletely characterized. This study aims to evaluate KFX’s impact on key wound‑healing processes, including keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation, migration, growth‑factor secretion, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis, using cellular and animal models. The authors employed in vitro assays and in vivo wound models to assess KFX’s influence on keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation and cell cycle, chemotaxis, EGF/VEGF secretion, wound closure rate, collagen deposition, and pro‑angiogenic activity. KFX significantly stimulated keratinocyte proliferation and fibroblast cycle regulation, enhanced cell migration and chemotaxis, increased EGF and VEGF secretion, accelerated wound closure, promoted collagen synthesis and angiogenesis, thereby improving healing quality and supporting its use as a novel wound‑treatment therapeutic.

Abstract

Kangfuxin (KFX) is the ethanol extract of Periplaneta Americana L., which has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of injury in clinic with a long history. However, the biological influence of KFX in the different wound stages was not investigated comprehensively yet. This study aims to investigate the influence of KFX in the various wound healing activities with cellular and animal models, including the influence of KFX in 1) proliferation and cells cycle of kerationcytes and fibroblasts; 2) migration and chemotaxis of these skin cells; 3) secretion of EGF and VEGF; 4) the healing rate; 5) synthesis and deposition of different types of collagen; 6) as well as the pro-angiogenesis effect. KFX was shown to/for 1) promote the kerationcytes proliferation and regulate the cells cycle of skin fibroblasts significantly; 2) obviously stimulate the migration of kerationcytes and chemotaxis of fibroblasts; 3) the trend to promote EGF and VEGF secretion both in vitro & in vivo; 4) accelerate the wound closure, collagen synthesis and angiogenesis. KFX was demonstrated to accelerate wound healing and improve the healing quality by multiple regulation. Results of this study provide the comprehensive evidence for the application of KFX as a novel therapeutics for wound treatment.