Abstract

Aim: Castor oil has recently gained attention for its wound-healing properties due to its rich phytochemical composition. In particular, the ricinoleic acid exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and skin barrier-supporting effects. In addition, the development of environmentally sustainable and biodegradable materials has increased the interest in plant-based formulations. This study aimed to evaluate the wound healing potential of castor oil-based biocompatible greases at different concentrations using an in vitro scratch assay on human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells.

Methods: HaCaT cells were cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% Penicillin–Streptomycin under standard incubation conditions (5% CO₂, 37 °C). Once confluent, a scratch was created in the cell monolayer using a sterile 200 μL pipette tip. Castor oil-based biocompatible greases at different concentrations (0.1%, 1%, 5%, and 10%) were applied to the experimental groups, while standard culture medium served as the negative control. The term “castor oil-based biocompatible grease” refers to castor oil applied at different concentrations in culture medium, representing a component of a proposed grease formulation. Cells were incubated for 0, 12, 24, and 48 hours. Wound closure was evaluated by inverted microscopy and analyzed quantitatively using ImageJ software.

Results: Quantitative analyses demonstrated a concentration-dependent effect of castor oil-based grease on wound closure. The 5% concentration group showed the greatest wound closure rate at 12 hours, comparable to the negative control. Lower concentrations (0.1% and 1%) exhibited slower closure rates, whereas the 10% group showed reduced cell migration and morphological deterioration, suggesting possible cytotoxicity. The order of wound closure effectiveness was 5% castor oil > negative control > Tween control > 10% > 0.1% > 1%.

Conclusion: Castor oil-based biocompatible greases influenced wound healing in a dose-dependent manner, with optimal effects observed at 5% concentration. These findings highlight the potential of castor oil-based greases as biocompatible, biodegradable, and environmentally sustainable biomaterials for wound healing applications, warranting further preclinical and clinical investigations.

Keywords: castor oil, biocompatible grease, wound healing, anti-inflammatory properties

License

Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to Cite

1.
Hocaoğlu R, Yavaş C, Akçalı N, Taghizad ME, Karcıoğlu Batur L. Investigation of the wound healing effects of castor oil-based biocompatible greases on the HaCaT cell line. J Trends Med Invest. 2025;1(3):77-83. https://doi.org/10.64512/JTMI.2025.17

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