Chronic wounds represent a worldwide healthcare and socio-economic problem which significantly affects the patients' quality of life. Healing of chronic wounds is a very complex process and requires constant wound management and treatment with agents that should stimulate wound healing. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring organosulfur compound with two thiol groups in its structure. It is a very potent antioxidant with other beneficial activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and neuroprotective. This study aimed to investigate in vitro wound healing activity of ALA and its effect on the proliferation of L929 fibroblasts. Wound healing activity was examined using an in vitro 'scratch' assay, while the impact on cell proliferation was assessed using the MTT test. A concentration-dependent effect of ALA on fibroblasts' proliferation was observed. ALA stimulated the wound closure and migration of fibroblasts in used in vitro wound healing model, which suggests that ALA can be used as a potent agent in various pharmaceutical formulations for wound management and wound healing.
Damnjanović et al. (Wed,) studied this question.