Abstract
Aucubin, the natural product, which is isolated from Aucuba japonica, has a variety of pharmacological effects such as liver-protective function, inhibition of liver RNA and protein biosynthesis, hypotensive activity and antimicrobial effect, etc. This study was performed to investigate the effects of iridoid compounds on wound healing. The author prepared 0.1% aucubin solution and 0.1% aucubin ointment as an active form, aucubigenin to which aucubin was converted by ${\beta}$-glucosidase. Artificial surgical wound was made on either 1cm lateral side of the dorsal midline along the axis of spine of Sprague-Dawley rats under sterile technique. Application of 0.1% aucubin solution or 0.1% aucubin ointment to surgical wound was done daily. Light microscopic examination was performed on the postsurgical 3 days, 5 days, and 9 days. The 0.1% aucubin solution group epithelialized earlier than the control group and the fibrosis of granulation tissue of both aucubin groups were more prominent than the control group. Collectively, this study suggests the possibility of aucubin as a topical agent. Further research should be performed on the mechanism of aucubin on wound healing and proper formulation for effective topical agents.