Anti-angiogenic Rather than Pro-angiogenic and Wound Healing-Promoting Effects of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) in a Zebra Fish Model of Tissue Regeneration and in Cultured Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Aims: Plant-derived substances are extensively used for promoting wound healing in various traditional medicinal systems. In this study, extracts from such plants were evaluated for such properties using an animal model of tissue repair and angiogenesis and a cell culture model of proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.

Place and Duration of the Study: The study was carried out for sixteen months at the Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Anton de Kom University, Paramaribo, Suriname.

Design and Methods: Aqueous extracts from parts of Aloe vera, Cinnamomum cassia, Lantana camara, Momordica charantia, Psidium guajava, and Solanum melongena were evaluated for their capacity to stimulate the regeneration of the amputated caudal fin of wild-type AB zebra fish embryos; the development of sub-intestinal vessels of Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1/+ zebra fish embryos; the closure of scratch-wound gaps in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers; and capillary-like structure formation by these cells in matrigel. The data obtained were compared to those found with untreated controls and considered statistically significantly different when P values < .05 (Student’s t test).

Results: None of the plant extracts stimulated fin regeneration and sub-intestinal vessel formation in the fish embryos or HUVEC scratch-wound closure and capillary-like structure formation. However, the L. camara extract delayed the regrowth of the amputated fin and the formation of sub-intestinal vessels by approximately 30 (P =.004) and 50% (P = 0.1), respectively, and inhibited HUVEC scratch-wound closure and capillary-like structure formation by roughly 100 (P = .004) and up to about 50% (P = .04 and .05), respectively. The remaining plant extracts did not affect either of these phenomena.

Conclusion: The L. camara extract exerted marked anti-angiogenic characteristics rather than pro-angiogenic and wound healing-promoting properties. This makes it a candidate for evaluation in diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis.