Serum Muscle Enzymes as Indicator for Gingival Wound Healing in Rabbits Orally Receiving Pomegranate Peel Extract

Background and Objectives: Pomegranate, Punica granatum, is known to possess a powerful ability for accelerating wound healing. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum muscle enzymes; Creatine phospho kinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in gingival wound healing process in rabbits orally administrated pomegranate peel extract (PPE). Methods: This study included 55 rabbits that were divided into 3 groups; baseline group consisted of 5 rabbits without creating buccal gingival injury, and the study group included 25 (5 rabbits per each time interval) with creation of gingival injury that received (PPE). The third group; the control group (25 rabbits) was treated as the study group, except they didn’t receive the extract. At the lower right central incisor, a gingival injury was created, seven days after the operation the sutured was removed. At time intervals (0, 3h, 1, 3, 7 and 10 days) after the operation, blood was withdrawn through cardiocentesis. Blood samples were used for serum CPK, AST, ALT, LDH activities determination. Results: In the rabbits receiving PPE (study group), the activities of muscle enzymes; AST, ALT, LDH increased significantly at time intervals of one and three days after gingival injury (except CPK which increased 3 hours, 1 and 3 days after surgery), then declined and nearly returned back to baseline values, 10 days after gingival injury incision. Whereas, in the control group, a significant increase in the serum activities of CPK and AST (compared to baseline values) were observed at all time intervals after gingival injury, while for ALT and LDH, their activities significantly increased one day and after. Conclusions: Serum muscle enzymes activities may be used as a marker for the gingival wound healing process in rabbits supplemented with PPE. Keywords: Punica granatum peel extract, Gingival injury healing, Muscle enzymes.