Abstract

Background: Chemotherapy, despite its high effectiveness, has side effects in the oral cavity, specifically mucositis. Centella asiatica (gotu kola) and various other herbal ingredients have shown promise and efficacy in the healing of these oral wounds. Compounds such as asiaticoside, madecassoside, triterpenoid saponins, and asiatic acid found in Centella asiatica leaves serve as antioxidants and aid in the healing of soft tissues. The process of wound healing can be assessed through the rate of proliferation, with Ki67 serving as a widely accepted marker for this purpose. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 25% Centella asiatica extract spray gel on the healing of oral mucositis, as indicated by the expression of Ki67. Methods: Oral mucositis was induced in 32 male Wistar rats via intravenous injection of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) for thirteen days. The treatment group (n = 16) received a 25% Centella asiatica gel spray twice daily for six days, whereas the control group (n = 16) received a hyaluronic acid spray over the same duration. On the sixth day post-treatment, the rats were decapitated, and the tissue samples underwent immunohistochemistry analysis. Results: Oral mucositis initiation commenced on day 10 and became clinically apparent on day 13, manifesting as ulcers with yellow pseudomembranes and erythema on the labial mucosa and gingiva of the rats. The mean Ki67 expression in the treatment group was 3.2000±0.2033 (p = 0.000), while it stood at 1.7125±0.2726 (p = 0.000) in the control group. Conclusion: Based on the Ki67 proliferation index, the administration of Centella asiatica extract gel spray was found to promote cell proliferation more effectively than the hyaluronic acid gel spray during the healing process of oral mucositis caused by chemotherapy in rats.