Effects of Bioactive Compound, Ginsenoside Rb1 on Burn Wounds Healing in Diabetic Rats: Influencing M1 to M2 Phenotypic Trans

Panax notoginseng (P.notoginseng) has been used traditionally to treat traumatic injuries. Ginsenoside Rb1, a key active ingredient derived from P.notoginseng, has received a lot of interest due to its anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, and growth-promoting effects on cells. The therapeutic benefits of ginsenoside Rb1 on burn wounds in STZ-induced diabetic rats, as well as the probable underlying processes, were investigated in this work. The skin wound healing effect of ginsenoside Rb1 (0.25 and 0.5% w/w) in a rat model of burn wounds in diabetic rats was observed at various time points after treatment. On days 5 and 19 following treatment, immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis for Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Cluster of Differentiation 68 (CD68) and Cluster of Differentiation 163 (CD163) of biological tissues were done. The macroscopic observation was used to track the healing of skin wounds at various periods. The protein expression of CD68 and CD163, which serve as M1 and M2 macrophage markers, was examined in detail. More notably, the ability of ginsenoside Rb1 to alter inflammatory markers (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory markers (IL-10), influence on hydroxyproline and hexosamine was observed. As indicated by increased CD163 (M2) and reduced CD68 (M1) on day 5, ginsenoside Rb1 effectively flips the M1 to M2 phenotypic transition at the right time to improve burn wound healing in diabetic rats. Ginsenoside Rb1 (0.5 % w/w) treatment showed higher tensile strength, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant properties, increased tissue hexosamine and hydroxyproline levels. Skin tissue morphology was significantly improved following 19 days of ginsenoside Rb1 (0.5% w/w) therapy, according to hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Furthermore, Ginsenoside Rb1 (0.5% w/w) favoured the inflammatory phase of burn wound healing (IL-6), assisted the proliferation process (IL-10) and had considerably lower expression of IL-1β and TNF-α on the later stage of wound healing. Overall, the data showed that ginsenoside Rb1 (0.5 % w/w) accelerates burn wound healing in diabetic rats through a mechanism that may be linked to the M1 to M2 phenotypic shift.