Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of curcumin, a naturally occurring compound with numerous health-beneficial properties, on the wound-healing process of extraction sockets (soft tissue that surrounded the extracted tooth) in rats. The effects of topically applied curcumin were monitored by tracking changes in myeloperoxidase activity and nitric oxide concentrations in soft tissue homogenates 3 and 7 days following surgery. Additionally, pathohistological examination of tissue sections was used to reveal the effects of curcumin on the course of wound healing on a microscopic level. Compared to the untreated control, topically administered curcumin statistically significantly decreased soft-tissue myeloperoxidase activity and nitric oxide concentrations after both 3 and 7 days of application. Microscopic analysis showed a reduced inflammatory infiltrate (subjectively and morphometrically estimated as the number of polymorphonuclear cells/100 μm2) and an increased collagen deposition in rats treated with curcumin. The obtained results point to the great potential of curcumin in the acceleration of tooth extraction wound-healing processes partially through the reduction of the inflammatory response and increase in collagen deposition. Thus, these results significantly contribute to the previously suggested application of curcumin in the skin wound treatment by potentially broadening its usage in the treatment of mucosal wounds.