Wound-Healing Efficacy of Daucus carota Bioactive Compounds: Targeting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis

Background/Objectives: Carrot seed essential oil (CSEO) from Daucus carota is rich insesquiterpenoids and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids known for anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant activities. This study evaluated the wound-healing potential of chemicallyvalidated CSEO in albino rats and examined its effects on oxidative stress, inflammation,
and apoptosis. Methods: CSEO was chemically characterized using GC–MS with retentionindex validation. Eighteen constituents (>1% peak area) were identified. An excision
wound model in albino rats was used to assess wound closure, physiological parameters,inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α), antioxidant status (SOD, GSH, ROS, MDA), and
histological markers of tissue repair. Apoptosis was evaluated through caspase-3 immunohistochemistry
to determine its role in tissue remodeling. Results: CSEO exhibited anoxygenated sesquiterpene–rich chemotype with oxygenated sesquiterpenes (~36%) andsesquiterpene hydrocarbons (~29%) as major groups. In vivo, CSEO significantly accelerated wound closure, achieving closure on Day 16 (p < 0.01) and complete closure by
Day 21 (p < 0.001), compared with the Reference and Control groups. CSEO significantly improved body weight from Day 4 to Day 21 (p < 0.001) and showed consistently higher
feed intake (p < 0.001) relative to other groups. Inflammatory markers were markedlyreduced, with TNF-α and IL-1β significantly lower than in the Control group (p < 0.001).CD68 levels were also significantly decreased (p < 0.001). CSEO significantly lowered ROS
and MDA (p < 0.001) while enhancing GSH and SOD levels (p < 0.001). Caspase-3 IHC revealed restored physiological apoptotic activity, supporting regulated tissue remodeling.
Conclusions: CSEO modulates inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis to promote efficient wound healing, supporting its relevance as a promising therapeutic candidate for
wound management