Experimental evaluation of avocado honey's wound healing properties: Physicochemical, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and proliferative effects combined with in silico toxicity and molecular docking analysis.

AIM OF THE STUDY: We evaluated the physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics of Palestinian avocado (Persea americana) honey and examined its antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing activities using integrated in vitro and in silico approaches.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Polyphenolic compounds were quantified using HPLC. Antioxidant activity was evaluated through total phenolic content (TPC). Anti-inflammatory effects were assessed by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in THP-1 macrophages. Wound healing potential was examined using HaCaT keratinocyte proliferation and scratch migration assays. Antibacterial activity was tested against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Molecular docking was performed with AutoDock Vina using the Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm (LGA) for flexible ligand docking.

RESULTS

Physicochemical analysis showed high water-soluble protein (296.96 ± 22.2 mg Eq BSA/100 g), moderate acidity (pH 4.23 ± 0.03), and elevated electrical conductivity (92.5 ± 1.05 μS). Phytochemical profiling revealed notable phenolic (144.76 ± 5.09 mg Eq GA/100 g) and flavonoid contents (3.54 ± 0.66 mg Eq Q/100 g), with strong antioxidant activity (TAC: 3.04 ± 0.34 g Eq AA/100 g. HPLC identified gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, catechin, and galangin. Honey showed strong antibacterial activity (B. subtilis MIC 0.195 %, MBC 0.39 %; S. pneumoniae MIC/MBC 6.25 %), reduced nitric oxide, and promoted wound healing. Catechin and galangin were safe (LD50 = 10,000 and 3919 mg/kg), while quercetin was more toxic. Docking revealed strong binding of key compounds to targets mediating antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.

CONCLUSION

The wound-healing effectiveness of avocado honey is attributed to its combined antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cell-proliferative activities.