36 Emu Oil lotion enhanced these parameters twofold, whereas pure Emu Oil did not exert significant effects.36 Improved wound healing with Emu Oil lotion was proposed to have occurred through a mechanism of enhanced keratinization.36 Nevertheless, in a study by Lagniel and Torres, Emu Oil improved recovery of damaged skin in children with second- and third-degree burn injuries caused by fire and hot water.37 The mechanism of action of Emu Oil and the nature of the active factor(s) are yet to be fully elucidated. It has been suggested that the n-3 and n-9 FAs present in

Emu Oil may confer anti-inflammatory learn more properties,31 and efforts to ameliorate several chronic inflammatory diseases, including IBD and rheumatoid arthritis, have been directed towards increasing dietary intake of n-3 and n-9 FAs.18,38 n-3 FAs reduce inflammation both directly (via downregulation of the inflammatory eicosanoid pathways that produce thromboxane B2, prostaglandin selleck kinase inhibitor E2 and leukotriene B4) and indirectly (by altering the expression of inflammatory genes through effects on transcription factor activation),39 whereas n-9 FAs inhibit macrophage migration.31 Yoganathan et al.31 demonstrated that the ability of Emu Oil to reduce levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were more pronounced in an experimental model of inflammation, compared with other oils known to contain higher levels of FAs. This suggests that the

anti-inflammatory properties of Emu Oil could not be solely attributed to the FA profile alone.31 It is proposed that the effects of Emu Oil may

be attributed to the synergism of FAs and other constituents in Emu Oil and/or the FA ratio. Other minor constituents of Emu Oil in the non-triglyceride fraction, such as antioxidants including carotenoids and flavones, and skin-permeation enhancing factors, are reported to evoke antioxidant or radical scavenging activities,29 modulate anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic selleck chemicals and anti-proliferative pathways in intestinal epithelial cells40 and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production and colonic neutrophil infiltration in a mouse model of colitis.41 Furthermore, the high ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids (UFA: SFA, approximately 1.8) may confer protection against oxidative damage.29 Emu Oil requires extensive testing, both topically and orally, with respect to its reported therapeutic benefits. Only in recent years have more rigorous studies of Emu Oil been conducted in pre-clinical models of gut disease. Lindsay et al.26 proposed a potential mechanism of action of Emu Oil following oral administration to rats with chemotherapy (5-Fluorouracil; 5-FU)-induced mucositis. In this study, Emu Oil decreased acute small intestinal inflammation assessed by myeloperoxidase activity (found in the intracellular granules of neutrophils) 96 h after 5-FU-administration.