Development of Chinese Medicinal Ointment with Antibacterial Properties from Tripterygium wilfordii
Ching Wong2, Siu Kan Law2★, Xiao Xiao Wu1, Christy Wing Sum Tong2, Yanping Wang3, Wesley Yeuk Lung Chow3, Dawn Ching Tung Au2★ Corresponding author
- 1Shenzhen Nanshan People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, CHINA.
- 2Department of Food and Health Sciences, The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Tsing Yi, New Territories, Hong Kong, CHINA.
- 3School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, CHINA.
CORRESPONDENCE
Siu Kan Law
Department of Food and Health Sciences, The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Tsing Yi, New Territories, Hong Kong, CHINA.
Received: 16-08-2024; Accepted: 04-12-2024.
Volume 21, Issue 4 · pp. 1257–1266 · PUBLISHED 2025 · DOI: 10.1177/09731296241309430
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ABSTRACT
Background: Chinese medicinal ointment was first recorded in the Shan Hai Jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas). Different formulations of Chinese medicinal ointments have been made based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory. Many TCMs possessed antibacterial properties that were used as microecological regulators to inhibit the growth of gram-negative bacteria, “Escherichia coli.” Objectives: To develop and make an antibacterial ointment by Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) and evaluate its antibacterial function. Materials and Methods: The methodologies included physical (cream selection), chemical [ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD)], and biological (agar assay) experiments for making TW ointment. Results: An active ingredient, “celastrol,” was extracted from TW. Aqueous Cream BP was chosen as the base for ointment making since it did not have any smell and contained only natural substances. UV–vis and HPLC-DAD identified the active ingredient of “celastrol” from TW with an absorption peak at 230 nm and a symmetrical peak at a retention time of 19.855 min. The 1%, 2%, and 5% TW ointments with antibacterial properties and inhibitory effects on the colony formation units of E. coli were 109.33 ± 14.32, 85.67 ± 10.22, and 44.00 ± 6.66, respectively. Conclusion: The Chinese medicinal ointment with antibacterial properties from TW was successfully developed using an Aqueous Cream BP and the Chinese medicinal plant “TW.” An active ingredient, “celastrol,” from “TW,” was determined by using UV–Vis and HPLC-DAD studies. The 1%, 2%, and 5% TW ointments were evaluated for its effectiveness for antibacterial properties. These Chinese medicinal ointments were the starting milestone for further studying the biological mechanisms or applications on human skin.
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Wong, C., Law, S. K., Wu, X. X., Tong, C. W. S., Wang, Y., Chow, W. Y. L., & Au, D. C. T. (2025). Development of Chinese Medicinal Ointment with Antibacterial Properties from Tripterygium wilfordii. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 21(4), 1257–1266. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731296241309430