Wound healing activity of Sweetgum oil (Liquidambar orientalis L. balsam): characterization of its mechanism of action on HaCaT human keratinocyte cells and possible responsible active constituents

Sweetgum oil (Liquidambar orientalis Mill.; Styrax liquidus) is traditionally used in Turkey for wounds and burns, yet its cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Two locally sourced sweetgum oil samples were tested in human HaCaT keratinocytes. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT. Proliferation and migration were quantified using RTCA-DP and scratch assays. COL1A1 mRNA was measured by TaqMan RT-PCR. Phytochemical profiling employed IT-TOF/MS; titrated Centella asiatica extract (TECA) was the positive control. Non-toxic concentrations were identified at 0.001–0.1 μg/mL. At 0.001 μg/mL, sweetgum oil significantly increased keratinocyte proliferation and migration in a time-dependent manner (RTCA-DP; p < 0.05 to p < 0.01), accelerating scratch-wound closure versus control. COL1A1 expression was unchanged. IT-TOF/MS indicated phenylpropyl cinnamate as the dominant constituent in both samples. Sweetgum oil promotes re-epithelialization-related processes primarily by enhancing keratinocyte proliferation and migration rather than collagen induction. These findings support sweetgum oil as a promising natural wound-healing agent and motivate in vivo validation.