RESUMO
Millions of bacteria present in the mouth cavity contribute to the challenging management of oral mucosa injury. On the other hand, Gracilaria spp. (red algae) is one of the widely cultivated algae that have a strong potential as a wound-healing agent for oral mucosa injury. This study aimed to investigate the wound-healing property of the red algae by observing its effect on polymorphonuclear (PMN), a neutrophil that is usually recruited during the initial wound healing. The extract was obtained through maceration and used as bioactive ingredient in gel preparation. Rattus norvegicus with incision wounds in the oral mucosa was used as the animal model. Our results revealed that rats treated with the red algae gel had significantly lower PMN on the injury site (P < 0.01) as observed on days 1, 3, and 5. Identification using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the extract was rich in hexadecenoic acid and glycerol. The brine shrimp lethality test suggested low cytotoxicity of this extract with LC50 = 10694.93 mg/mL. In conclusion, the extract could be potentially used as bioactive ingredient in gel formulation for topical management of oral mucosa wounds. Further, research to confirm these findings is warranted.
RESUMO
Wound healing in the mouth has its challenges due to masticatory movements and the presence of bacteria that can inhibit its process. The aim of this study was to analyze the contents of red algae (Gracilaria verrucosa) from Indonesia, and its potential as a wound-healing agent for oral wounds using animal model. Red algae content was determined by phytochemical tests and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The wound was made by making an incision on the gingival mucosa of Rattus norvegicus and the parameters assessed were bleeding time, number of fibroblast cells, and time of wound closure. Three doses of G. verrucosa gel were used (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) and the gels were applied twice a day, at 6:00 and 18:00. Application was carried out topically by applying 0.1 ml of gel to the incision wound using a 1 mL syringe. Our phytochemical test indicated that the G. verrucosa contained alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, and phenols. The dominant contains of the G. verrucosa were glycerol (36.81%), hexadecenoic acid (20.74%), and cholesterol (7.4%). The hemostasis test showed that the 2.5% G. verrucosa extract gel had the shortest bleeding time, 33.98±2.66 seconds. On the seventh day of the initial proliferation phase, the number of fibroblasts was not significantly different among groups. On day 14, the number of fibroblasts was only significantly different between 10% G. verrucosa and untreated group (p=0.007). On day 28, however, both 5% and 10% G. verrucosa were significantly higher compared to untreated group, both had p=0.010. Daily clinical examination showed that animals that were given 2.5% and 5% of G. verrucosa extract gel experienced wound closure on day 10. Animals treated with 10% of extract gel, all wounds healed on day 9. This study suggested that G. verrucosa extract could accelerate wound closure and wound healing.
