Rajcoomar, Yashmika2024-12-092024-12-092024Rajcoomar, Yashmika. (2024). The wound healing effect of exosomes derived from Lobostemon fruticosus [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/43210https://hdl.handle.net/10539/43210A dissertation submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree: MSc (Medicine) In Pharmaceutical Affairs to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024Exosomes are increasingly being researched and recognized as a novel mode of intercellular communication which can potentially play a significant role in many cellular processes, including immune responses, signal transductions and antigen presentation. Exosomes are membrane bound nanovesicles produced by both mammalian and plant cells. Developing research is mainly focused on their ability to act as a drug delivery vehicle. Other research interests around exosomes are their therapeutic effects for many common diseases including cancer and chronic inflammation. Plant-derived exosomes have emerged as potential candidates for many clinical and therapeutic applications. The aim of this project was to isolate exosomes derived from Lobostemon fruticosus leaves and to investigate the wound healing potential from this plant species. The plant-derived exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation and were characterised by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ZetaSizer, Energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy and the Pierce™ BCA Protein Assay Kit. The wound healing potential was assessed by In vitro scratch assay using human keratinocytes (HaCaT). The exosomes displayed a round, spherical shape and had diameters ranging from 41 to 67 nm – falling within range of nano-sized exosomes. The exosomes had a mean particle size of 166.2 d.nm. Chemical analysis of the samples using energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed the presence of carbon, oxygen, potassium, chloride, gold, palladium and sodium. The protein quantification results revealed the exosomes were rich in proteins. The cell viability results, using various concentrations of Lobostemon fruticosus exosomes, revealed non-cytotoxicity on HaCaT cells. The In vitro scratch assay demonstrated that the exosomes enhanced the migration ability of HaCaT cells in a time dependent manner. The findings suggest and reveal that exosomes derived from Lobostemon fruticosus could accelerate the healing process and can be employed as a future drug delivery platform. Further research is required to establish the exact mechanism of action of the healing potential of this plant specie's constituents. Overall results suggest that exosomes derived from Lobostemon fruticosus are promising as a potential agent for skin regenerationen© 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Extracellular vesiclesNanotechnologyExosomesNano-based drug delivery systemsPlant-derived exosomesMammalian-derived exosomesLobostemon fruticosusUCTDSDG-3: Good health and well-beingDissertation