Effect of -cinnamic acid and -coumaric acid on fibroblast motility: a pilot comparative study of lipophilicity measure.

Cinnamic acids and their derivatives are found in abundance in fruits, vegetables, and other food products of plant origin. The -cinnamic and -coumaric acids in particular have been a subject of research for the treatment of a diverse range of pathological conditions. However, it is unclear whether these derivatives exert a direct beneficial effect on the cells that play a role in regulating skin wound healing, such as fibroblasts. In this study, using scratch-wound healing assay, it was observed that treatment with -cinnamic acid resulted in increased migration of fibroblasts when compared with that of -coumaric acid-treated cells, without any adverse effect on cell viability. Studies on the lipophilicity of these acids using the XLOGP3 algorithm showed that -cinnamic acid was more lipophilic than -coumaric. Thus, the findings of this study indicated that the lipophilic characteristic of -cinnamic acid rendered it more suitable as a potential drug candidate.