Ankaferd-induced early soft tissue wound healing in an experimental rat model

Abstract

Objective: Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a unique standardized medicinal plant extract which has been approved in the management of post-surgical external bleeding and dental surgery in Turkey. ABS is obtained from five different plants' extracts namely Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum and Urtica dioica. The aim of this paper is to test the effects and search the underlying molecular mechanisms of ABS on the early wound healing process of extraction socket's soft tissue in a rat experimental model. Material and Methods: Locally bred female 20 albino rats' right and left maxillary molars were extracted. On the right side, 0.2 mL ABS was applied on each socket, and the left side was used as the control. The animals were sacrificed on 1,2,4 and 7th days. Indirect immunohistological procedure was performed on cryosections. Digital images were captured and quantitative image analysis was carried out for various immunohistochemical markers; collagen type 1, collagen type 3, α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, β 2 microglobulin, vascular endothelial growth factor and, cyclooxygenase-2. Results: Immune reactivity was augmented statistically significantly (p<0.05) in various days for; collagen type 1, collagen type 3, α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, β 2 microglobulin, vascular endothelial growth factor, Cyclooxygenase-2 and mononuclear phagocyte marker. Conclusion: ABS enhanced the number of the cells harboring the important markers of soft tissue healing as well as the biological reactivity of these cells for these molecules in the extraction sockets. Therefore this study is important for evaluating wound healing accelerating effect of ABS. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.