Fatty acid extracts from Lucilia sericata larvae promote murine cutaneous wound healing by angiogenic activity

On day 7 and 10 after murine acute excision wounds creation, the percent wound contraction of fatty acid extracts group was higher than that of vaseline group. On day 3, 7 and 10 after wounds creation, the wound healing quality of fatty acid extracts group was better than that of vaseline group on terms of granulation formation and collagen organization. On day 3 after wounds creation, the micro vessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression of fatty acid extracts group were higher than that of vaseline group. Component analysis of the fatty acid extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed there were 10 kinds of fatty acids in total and the ratio of saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was: 20.57%:60.32%:19.11%.Fatty acid extracts from dried Lucilia sericata larvae, four fifths of which are unsaturated fatty acids, can promote murine cutaneous wound healing probably resulting from the powerful angiogenic activity of the extracts.Fatty acids, as a family of bioactive moleculars, participate in many metabolic processes. The deficiency of fatty acids may result in diseases, vice versa supplementing fatty acids can treat diseases. Since a kind of disease is a result of multiple etiological factors, it is difficult to get a satisfactory therapeutic outcome using a single compound as drug. Therefore more and more doctors focus on ethnopharmacolgical theory, which records folk plants or animals containing many effective components. The therapeutic utilization of Lucilia sericata larvae commonly called maggot therapy for wound healing can date back to the beginning of civilization [1]. According to traditional Chinese medicine principle and the book Compendium of Materia Medica records, Lucilia sericata larvae which has been given the name of "WuGuChong" is salty in taste, cold in nature and non-toxic. It is mainly produced in Guangdong Province in China and local people use "WuGuChong" to treat