Skin Regeneration Effect and Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Artemisia montana

Artemisia montana Pampan (Compositae) (AMP) contains various compounds, including phenolic acids, alkaloids, and essential oil. It has been widely used in oriental medicine due to a variety of biological effects. However, the biological activity of the essential oil from AMP (AMPEO) on skin has not been investigated. In the present study, AMPEO was evaluated for its composition and its effect on cellular events (migration and proliferation) related to skin regeneration using normal human keratinocytes (HaCats). AMPEO, which was extracted by steam distillation, contained 42 components. AMPEO increased proliferation in HaCats in a dose-dependent manner (EC 50, 8.5 ng/mL) and did not affect migration. AMPEO also enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK 1/2 and induced the synthesis of type IV collagen, but not type I collagen in HaCats. In addition, AMPEO promoted wound closure in the dorsal side skin of rat tail. These results demonstrated that AMPEO extracted by steam distillation induced proliferation and synthesis of type IV collagen in human skin keratinocytes, and may thereby exert positive effects on skin regeneration and wound healing in human skin.