ORAL WOUND HEALING EFFECTS OF GEL COMBINATION OF HYALURONIC ACID AND ASTAXANTHIN: AN ANTIOXIDANT, CLINICAL, AND HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Objective: This study assesses the efficacy of a combination gel containing 0.2% hyaluronic acid and 1% astaxanthin by conducting antioxidant assays, wound closure differences, and histological assessment by counting fibroblast and collagen density of oral wounds. Methods: An antioxidant assessment of the combination gel utilizing the DPPH technique and wound healing effects on oral ulcers in diabetes conditions was performed in vivo, with five replications for each. The research comprised four groups: base gel therapy, 0.2% hyaluronic acid gel, 1% astaxanthin gel, and a combined gel of 0.2% hyaluronic acid and 1% astaxanthin. Evaluation occurred after 3, 5, and 7 days of therapy. Subsequently, the rats were euthanized for histological analysis, focusing on fibroblast and collagen density using hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. The data were analyzed by the Brown-Forsythe followed by posthoc Games-Howell for differential diameter and the Kruskal-Wallis followed by the post hoc Mann-Whitney test (p<0,05) for collagen density. Results: The IC50 value of the gel combination of 0.2% hyaluronic acid and 1% astaxanthin is 0.06578 ppm. The decrease in diameter was observed on days 3, 5, and 7, with a statistically significant difference among all groups on day 5 (p<0.05). On days 3 and 5, there was an elevation in fibroblast count, which was significantly distinct from the other groups on day 5; however, on day 7, the count was equivalent to that of the Ast1 therapy group. Collagen density grading on days 3, 5, and 7 revealed a score of 4 (indicating high collagen density), with significant differences observed on days 3 and 5 and no significant difference when compared to the Ast1 group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The gel combination of 0.2% hyaluronic acid and 1% astaxanthin contained potent antioxidants. The combination gel's effect on wound healing acceleration was visible on day 5.