Nagaland Breakthrough: Natural Compound Reveals New Hope for Diabetic Wounds

The discovery marks a major advancement that could result in safe, natural, and effective treatments for diabetic wound management.

According to the release, this is the first study globally to demonstrate that Sinapic acid, when administered orally, can accelerate diabetic wound healing in preclinical models. The research established that the compound works by activating the SIRT1 pathway, which plays a crucial role in tissue repair, angiogenesis, and inflammation control.

The multidisciplinary study involved collaboration between experts from Nagaland University and Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab, combining expertise in biotechnology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and medical laboratory sciences, as stated in the release.

The release further mentioned that Prof. Pranav Kumar Prabhakar, Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University, led research. It included Rupal Dubey, Sourbh Suren Garg, Navneet Khurana and Jeena Gupta from Lovely Professional University.

The findings have been published in Nature Scientific Reports (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03890-z), a peer-reviewed, open-access journal from Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature), lending strong international credibility to this work.

Highlighting the real-world impact of this Research, Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik, Vice Chancellor, Nagaland University, said, "I am delighted to share that a study conducted by our researchers at Nagaland University has identified a natural compound with remarkable potential in the treatment of diabetic wounds. This discovery not only highlights the strength of our scientific community but also reflects our commitment to addressing pressing health challenges through innovation rooted in nature. I congratulate the research team for their dedication and contribution towards improving healthcare solutions."

Elaborating on how this research addresses a Critical Global Health Challenge, Prof. Pranav Kumar Prabhakar, Head, Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Nagaland University, said, "Diabetes mellitus remains one of the world's most pressing chronic diseases, affecting hundreds of millions globally. Among its serious complications is delayed wound healing, often resulting in diabetic foot ulcers, infection, and, in severe cases, amputation. Existing synthetic drugs have shown limited efficacy and often cause undesirable side effects."

Prof. Pranav Kumar Prabhakar added, "We set out seeking a safe, plant-based alternative -- exploring how Sinapic acid, a naturally occurring antioxidant found in various edible plants, could accelerate tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote new blood vessel formation in diabetic wounds. We found that a lower dose (20 mg/kg) was more effective than a higher one (40 mg/kg), a phenomenon known as 'Inverted Dose-Response.' This result not only optimises dosage strategy but also has significant clinical implications for future drug development."

The key implications of this discovery include reducing the risk of amputation and accelerating recovery in diabetic foot ulcers and providing an affordable, natural oral therapy, improving accessibility for patients in rural and resource-limited settings.

The next phase will focus on translating this success into real-world therapeutics through - Detailed molecular pathway studies (PI3K/Akt, NF-kB), Toxicity and pharmacokinetic profiling to ensure safety, Formulation development for capsules or nutraceutical tablets, Pilot clinical trials in diabetic patients to test efficacy and safety.

- ANI