Molecular and Cellular Effects of Indigo naturalis on Periodontal Cells: An In Vitro Investigation into Potential Therapeutic Mechanisms

Objective: The objective of this research is to analyze the potential advantages of Indigo naturalis (IN) in periodontal wound healing via investigating its impact on human osteoblast (hOB) and human gingival fibroblast (hGF) cells.Methods: Doses of 5, 10, and 15 μg/mL IN extract were administered to hGF and hOB cells for 24 hours then viability of the cells was evaluated via MTT assay. The expression levels of axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and type I collagen (COL1) were assessed in hOB cells using ELISA.Results: IN treatment did not demonstrate a significant difference on the viability of hOB and hGF cell lines (p> .05). IN extract showed antimicrobial and antifungal properties. The IN-treated hOB cells had significantly increased expressions of AXIN2, COL1 and BMP2 compared to the control group (p < .05, p < .05, and p < .05 respectively).Conclusion: IN may have positive impact on periodontal wound healing and bone repair as it increases the protein expression in hOB cells, possibly regulated via activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. However, further research is required to reveal the effects of IN under a range of varying concentrations and extended observation periods.