Abstract: Background & Objectives: Ocular inflammatory and ulcerative disorders, including keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) and infectious conjunctivitis, represent prevalent clinical challenges in companion animal medicine. Conventional synthetic therapies present long-term safety risks. This study aimed to isolate high-purity plant-derived polydeoxyribonucleotide (Phyto-PDRN) from Houttuynia cordata using an Adsorption-Elution-Based Purification (ABT) system and enzymatic fragment processing, formulate a biocompatible ophthalmic complex (0.075% w/v Phyto-PDRN), and evaluate its preclinical therapeutic efficacy, corneal/conjunctival regeneration mechanisms, and safety profile.
Methods: Phyto-PDRN was purified from H. cordata via cellulase/pectinase hydrolysis, probe ultrasonication, DEAE-Sepharose ABT column chromatography, and controlled DNase I restriction cleavage. The target formulation was prepared with hyaluronic acid, isotonic buffering salts, sodium benzoate, and disodium edetate, followed by terminal gamma irradiation (25 kGy). Preclinical evaluations encompassed UV/SEC-MALS physicochemical characterization, HPLC phytochemical quantification, DPPH antioxidant assays, H2O2/cisplatin-induced epithelial cell (CRFK/HK-2) toxicity mitigation, TUNEL apoptosis assays, ZM241385-antagonized adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) proliferation and scratch wound healing assays, NF-κB/MMP pathway western blotting, and HET-CAM ocular irritation and USP <51> antimicrobial effectiveness tests.
Results: The ABT process yielded 0.38 ± 0.04% Phyto-PDRN with A260/A280 purity of 1.88 ± 0.03 (≥95.5% purity), optimal fragment length of 50–1,500 bp, and endotoxin levels <0.012 EU/mL. The optimized formulation established physiological equivalence (pH 7.2 ± 0.1, 300 mOsm/kg, 0.9% NaCl isotonicity) and total non-irritation (HET-CAM score 0.0). The formulation exhibited 96.0% DPPH radical scavenging, restored CRFK survival to 94.1%, and reduced TUNEL-positive apoptosis from 68.4% to 8.2%. Phyto-PDRN stimulated epithelial cell proliferation by 215.4% (completely abolished by A2AR antagonist ZM241385 to 112.1%) and achieved 94.8% wound closure within 24 h. Furthermore, it attenuated p-p65 NF-κB phosphorylation by 72%, downregulating MMP-1, MMP-3 (76%), MMP-13 (68%), TNF-α, and IL-1β while normalizing Type II Collagen expression (0.89-fold).
Conclusions: The H. cordata Phyto-PDRN ophthalmic complex provides a highly effective, animal-origin-free, allergen-free therapeutic strategy for companion animal ocular diseases, demonstrating robust tissue regeneration, anti-inflammatory activity, and regulatory feasibility.
Keywords: Houttuynia cordata; Phyto-PDRN; Companion animal ocular diseases; Adenosine A2A receptor; Corneal epithelial regeneration; Isotonic ophthalmic formulation; Veterinary quasi-drugs.
Title: Development and Preclinical Validation of a Houttuynia cordata-Derived Phyto-PDRN Ophthalmic Complex Formulation for Companion Animal Ocular Diseases
Author: Dong-Myong Kim, Jun-Ku Lee, Won-Kyu Lee, Hyun-Ah Moon, Youn-Joo Cho, Ji-Young Bae, Jin-Woo Kim, Yeon-Mae Choi
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
Vol. 14, Issue 2, October 2026 - March 2027
Page No: 39-46
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 28-October-2026
