Kohima (Nagaland) [India], October 21 (ANI): Researchers at Nagaland University have discovered a naturally occurring plant compound, Sinapic acid, as a promising therapeutic agent capable of significantly accelerating wound healing in diabetic conditions. The breakthrough could pave the way for safe, natural, and effective treatments for diabetic wound management.
According to the release, this is the first global study demonstrating that orally administered Sinapic acid can accelerate diabetic wound healing in preclinical models. The compound works by activating the SIRT1 pathway, which is essential for tissue repair, angiogenesis, and controlling inflammation.
The multidisciplinary study involved collaboration between Nagaland University and Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab, combining expertise in biotechnology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and medical laboratory sciences. The research team was led by Prof. Pranav Kumar Prabhakar, Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University, along with Rupal Dubey, Sourbh Suren Garg, Navneet Khurana, and Jeena Gupta from LPU. The findings were published in Nature Scientific Reports (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03890-z).
Highlighting the impact of the research, Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik, Vice Chancellor of Nagaland University, said, “This discovery not only highlights the strength of our scientific community but also reflects our commitment to addressing pressing health challenges through innovation rooted in nature.”
Prof. Prabhakar emphasized the significance for global health: “Diabetes mellitus is a major chronic disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Delayed wound healing often leads to diabetic foot ulcers, infections, and even amputations. Existing synthetic drugs show limited efficacy and have side effects. We sought a safe, plant-based alternative, and found that Sinapic acid accelerates tissue repair, reduces inflammation, and promotes new blood vessel formation in diabetic wounds. Interestingly, a lower dose (20 mg/kg) proved more effective than a higher one (40 mg/kg), an ‘Inverted Dose-Response’ phenomenon, which has important clinical implications.”
Key benefits of this discovery include reducing the risk of amputation, accelerating recovery in diabetic foot ulcers, and providing an affordable, natural oral therapy, particularly beneficial for rural and resource-limited settings.
The next phase of research will focus on translating these findings into practical therapeutics through detailed molecular pathway studies (PI3K/Akt, NF-kB), toxicity and pharmacokinetic profiling, formulation development for capsules or nutraceutical tablets, and pilot clinical trials in diabetic patients to evaluate safety and efficacy. (ANI)
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