Carbohydrate‐derived Fulvic acid (CHD‐FA) inhibits Carrageenan‐induced inflammation and enhances wound healing: efficacy and Toxicity study in rats

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and anti‐inflammatory and wound‐healing characteristics of carbohydrate‐derived fulvic acid (CHD‐FA) in rats. CHD‐FA (≥100 mg/kg p.o.) effectively reduced carrageenan‐induced paw edema in rats, which was comparable to 10 mg/kg p.o. indomethacin. Topical application of CHD‐FA, formulated to contain 1.75% active product in a cetomicrogol cream at pH 1.98, compared favorably with fusidic acid cream (10 mg/g) in accelerating the healing of excised wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus. No signs of toxicity were observed in rats during the 6‐day acute and 6‐month chronic treatment with CHD‐FA (100 mg/kg p.o.). Topical application of CHD‐FA, formulated in UEA cream and applied to the right ears of mice at 400 mg/g body weight on days 1 and 7–38, produced no adverse events. No signs of toxicity were observed in the teratogenicity study, in which CHD‐FA was administered at 100 mg/kg p.o. to pregnant female mice 3 days before fertilization to 14 days of pregnancy. In conclusion, CHD‐FA is a safe compound with anti‐inflammatory and wound‐healing properties and merits further evaluation in the treatment of patients suffering from similar conditions. Drug Dev Res 73: 18–23, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.