Pracaxi oil, beneficial for promoting healing?

The pracaxi oil is a vegetable oil originating from South America that is increasingly valued in the cosmetic sector. Besides its hydrating and nourishing virtues, which are highly praised for taking care of dry skin, the pracaxi oil is also believed to promote the healing process and have a beneficial effect on various types of wounds. This is at least what several studies, presented below, suggest.

• A single-blind study conducted by BANOV in 2014 investigated the veracity of the healing effect of pracaxi oil. The clinical trial was carried out on 21 patients with surgical or traumatic wounds or burns. For a year, the volunteers applied pracaxi oil incorporated into an anhydrous base two to four times a day. At the end of the trial, the results showed a scar improvement and its characteristics, such as its size and colour, in 8 out of 21 patients, or in 38% of the participants. This initial study is encouraging regarding the healing action of pracaxi oil, although precautions should be taken. Indeed, the number of subjects was quite small and the oil was not applied alone.

• A second study was conducted to observe the effects of the topical application of an anhydrous base containing silicone, 2% mupirocin, an antibacterial, and pracaxi oil on the wound of a patient with a diabetic ulceration. The preparation was applied three times a day for 63 days. A complete closure of the wound was observed at the end of the treatment. Although interesting, this study was not conducted with pracaxi oil alone, which also calls for caution.

• A third study was conducted on a surgical scar resulting from an open-heart operation on a child suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart defect. An anhydrous silicone-based preparation containing pracaxi oil was applied to the wound for 8 weeks. The results of the study showed a improvement in the appearance of the scar evaluated at 77.8% compared to the initial state.

Thus, despite the positive effects of these creams on scars observed in these studies, the healing action of pracaxi oil would require further investigations and clinical trials.

Several hypotheses can be proposed regarding the origin of the potential healing properties of pracaxi oil. These could notably be linked to its biochemical composition rich in oleic acid. This fatty acid has healing effects and acts by regulating tissue remodelling particularly by controlling the expression of metalloproteinases MMP-9. Oleic acid also plays a role in the formation of granulation tissue by increasing the synthesis of type III collagen. Furthermore, oleic acid inhibits the activation of the transcription factor NF-kB, thus reducing inflammation, which promotes the process of healing.

The pracaxi oil also contains linoleic acid, a precursor to the synthesis pathways of regeneration mediators. This compound notably promotes the formation of new blood vessels through the angiogenesis process and induces an activation of cell proliferation, thus contributing to the improvement of the healing process.

Furthermore, pracaxi oil has interesting moisturising properties in the context of wound healing, derived from its fatty acid content, which allows it to maintain a moist environment at the wound site. This factor is important as studies have shown that moisture aids epithelial cells in migrating to the wound surface and inducing its closure. An in vitro study even compared the effects of a silicone gel containing pracaxi oil to a gel without oil on the migration of human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. An improvement of 77% was observed for the former compared to 27% for the latter. It would thus appear that pracaxi oil led to a faster migration of keratinocytes and fibroblasts. It could therefore allow for greater re-epithelialisation and a faster healing process.

The collective properties of pracaxi oil on the skin could potentially be beneficial for wound healing. However, additional scientific evidence is still required to confirm the actual healing role of this vegetable oil when used as a standalone topical application.

• BANOV D. & al. Case series: The effectiveness of fatty acids from pracaxi oil in a topical silicone base for scar and wound therapy. Dermatology and Therapy (2014). 

• BANOV D. & al. Use of a topical anhydrous silicone base containing fatty acids from pracaxi oil in a patient with a diabetic ulcer. SAGE Open Medical Case Reports (2015). 

• PHAN H. & al. In vitro assessment of the effects of a topical anhydrous silicone base containing pracaxi oil on keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts migration. Journal of Investigative Dermtology (2016). 

• ALVES A. J. & al. The fatty acid composition of vegetable oils and their potential use in wound care. Advances in Skin & Wound Care (2019). 

• BLOCK J. M. & al. Composition, thermal behavior and antioxidant activity of pracaxi (Pentaclethra macroloba) seed oil obtained by supercritical CO2. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (2020).