Therapeutic effects of Eucommia water extract on periodontitis in experimental rats

Abstract

Herein, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effects of water extracts from Eucommia on periodontitis in experimental rats. We ligated the maxillary second molars of SD rats with 4.0 silk threads and locally smeared Porphyromonas gingivalis to induce gingivitis and periodontitis. After successfully establishing the model, we exposed the rats to Eucommia water extracts through topical smearing and intragastric administration and evaluated the therapeutic effect of the extracts on gingivitis (for a 2 week treatment period) and periodontitis (over 4 weeks). We recorded the alveolar bone resorption levels and analyzed histopathological sections of the periodontal tissue, molecules related to periodontal oxidative stress, and periodontal inflammatory factors to understand the feasibility of Eucommia in treating gingivitis and periodontitis. Results showed reduced damage to the periodontal tissue after treatment with extracts, indicating that Eucommia has a positive effect in treating gingivitis and periodontitis in experimental rats. These findings are expected to provide the foothold for future research on secondary metabolites derived from Eucommia and guide the development of novel approaches for preventing and treating periodontal disease.