Effect of Dragon Fruit (<i>Hylocereus polyrhizus</i>) Peel Extract on Collagen Fiber Density of Rat Socket Healing

Abstract

Collagen has an important role in wound healing to return anatomy and physiology of tissue structure. Dragon fruit is a natural resource that can be used as a therapy that contains flavonoid, saponin, vitamin A, C, and E useful in wound healing. The aim of this study is to prove the effectivity of dragon fruit ( Hylocereus polyrhizus ) peel extract gel towards collagen fibers density after tooth extraction of Wistar rat ( Rattus norvegicus ). The randomized post test only control groups design was used for this study. The sample consisted of 40 Wistar rats treated with tooth extraction in the left incisive tooth of the mandible. Dragon fruit peel extract gel 15%, 30%, 60% was given into the socket except for control group which was given CMC-Na gel. Wistar rats was sacrificed on the fourth and seventh days after tooth extraction and prepared for histopathological examination with Masson’s Trichrome staining. The data were analyzed with One-way ANOVA and Tukey-HSD test. There are significant differences in the density of collagen in the treatment group concentration 30%. The result showed that the use of dragon fruit peel extract gel affects the density of collagen fibers at 4 and 7 days after tooth extraction. The finding provides dragon fruit peel extract could promote the healing process through the formation of collagen fibers density.