Phytotherapeutics in dentistry: use of malva sylvestris l. in the treatment of oral lesions – studies with wistar rats

Abstract

This study is an experimental research aimed at evaluating the clinical and
histological repair of the oral mucosa in rats after the induction of a lesion in the
dorsal region of the tongue, using mallow as the active ingredient to aid in
mucosal repair and healing. A total of 24 Wistar rats were used, divided into 3-
and 7-day periods, with each period consisting of 12 animals equally subdivided
into control and experimental groups (n=6). After an adaptation period, the
animals underwent surgery to induce a lesion, followed by the application of
mallow-based biomaterial to the affected area. After the exposure period of 3 or
7 days, each group was euthanized for result analysis. Qualitative results
indicated that the control group showed better histological healing in the wound
area compared to the experimental group, which presented a greater number of
inflammatory cells in the histological analysis. However, the quantitative results
showed no significant differences. It was concluded that the orabase containing
mallow as the active ingredient does not appear to be a beneficial alternative for
aiding mucosal wound healing. Further studies with larger sample sizes and
different quantitative methodologies are needed.

Keywords: Phytotherapy. Oral Lesions. Malva sylvestris L.