Evaluation of the Effect of Topical Hypericum perforatum Oil on Excisional Palatal Wound Healing in Rabbits

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Hypericum perforatum (HP) oil on wound-healing process in rabbit palatal mucosa. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six New Zealand albino rabbits were randomly allocated to following groups; (1) HP oil (test, n = 18) and (2) olive oil (control, n = 18). Palatinal excisional wounds were created and the oils were topically applied (0.1 ml, 30 s, twice a day). Gingival biopsies were excised, and analyzed for re-epithelialization (RE) and granulation tissue maturation (GTM) on days 3, 7, and 14 after surgery. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) were assessed using the immunohistochemical method. Apoptotic cells (ACs) were evaluated using TUNEL staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to assess tissue catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Results: RE and GTM were completed earlier in the HP oil group than in the control group. The number of positively stained cells/vessels was higher in olive oil than in the test group on day 3 for FGF-2 and on days 3 and 7 for VEGF (p < 0.05). In contrast, on day 14, a higher number of vessels was observed in the HP oil group than in the control group. HP oil treatment reduced the number of ACs compared to olive oil (p < 0.05), but the difference during the healing period did not reach significance. Tissue CAT and MDA levels between groups were not different, and also the results were the same when the levels were analyzed by the evaluated time periods (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that topical HP oil treatment did not provide an additional benefit to its base, olive oil, in the early phase of secondary wound healing.

Keywords::

• Fibroblast growth factor 2
• hypericum perforatum oil
• olive oil
• vascular endothelial growth factor
• wound healing

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors extend their gratitude to Dr. Seyit Ali Kayıs (Associate Professor, Karabük University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics and Informatics) for his statistical analysis of our data and Dr. Aysel Kukner (Professor, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology) for her important contribution to the histological examination of our tissue samples.

Notes

i. Surgical blade, technocut cs 15C, India, lot 161709A

ii. Rabbit anti VEGF polyclonal antibody, Abbiotec, San Diego, USA, cat no:250907

iii. Rabbit anti FGF polyclonal antibody, Abbiotec, San Diego, USA, cat no:250559

iv. In citu cell death detection kit, Fluorescein, cat no:11 684 795 910, Roche, Mannheim, Germany

v. SunRed Rabbit Malondialdehyde (MDA) elisa kit catalogue no: 201-09-0295, Baoshan, Shanghai

vi. SunRed Rabbit Catalase (CAT) elisa kit catalogue no: 201-09-0299, Baoshan, Shanghai

vii. IKA WERKE, Wilmington, USA

viii. SPSS v.20.0, IBM, Chicago, IL, USA

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Abant Izzet Baysal University, Coordination Unit of Scientific Research Projects (Project number 2015.06.05.902).