Wound Healing Potential of the Salvianolic Acid H and Yunnaneic Acid B—The Rosmarinic Acid Derivatives: Anti-Inflammatory Action and Hemocompatibility In Vitro

Phenolic acids of plant origin are recognized as key bioactive compounds with potential for both internal and topical applications. Although some of these phytochemicals are used for skin care and to improve wound healing, oligomeric derivatives of rosmarinic acid (RA) remain poorly characterized in this context. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of salvianolic acid H (SA H) and yunnaneic acid B (YA B) in experimental models related to wound-healing, specifically in skin cells (HaCaT keratinocyte and NHDF fibroblast lines), THP1-ASC-GFP monocytes, and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Both SA H and YA B reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine release from HaCaT, NHDF, and PBMCs with efficacy comparable to or exceeding that of RA. Analyses of intracellular pathways of inflammatory response revealed that SA H and YA B were also efficient inhibitors of inflammasome formation in THP1-ASC-GFP reporter cells. Furthermore, SA H showed significant inhibitory effects on the activities of cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase (IC₅₀ = 11.53 µg/mL and 2.41 µg/mL, respectively). None of the examined acids influenced the hemostatic system at concentrations of 1-5 μg/mL. At 50 μg/mL, a slight increase in plasma clotting rate was observed for SA H and RA. These findings indicate that SA H and YA B, two naturally occurring oligomeric derivatives of RA, exert significant anti-inflammatory activity and represent promising agents for further studies on their use to improve wound healing.