Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Musa acuminata Stem

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Traditional Medicine
• Oral Biology and Wound Healing
• Immunology and Inflammation

Background:

• Oral mucosal wounds present challenges in healing and inflammation management.
• Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappa β (NF-κB) are key inflammatory mediators.
• Natural compounds are increasingly explored for therapeutic anti-inflammatory properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of Musa acuminata stem extract (MASE) gel.
• To assess the effect of MASE on TNF-α and NF-κB expression in oral mucosal wounds.
• To determine the optimal concentration of MASE for anti-inflammatory activity.

Main Methods:

• An experimental study utilizing a post-test only control group design.
• Oral mucosal wounds were induced in Wistar rats and treated with varying MASE gel concentrations (0%, 25%, 37.5%, 50%).
• Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on day 3 to quantify TNF-α and NF-κB expression.

Main Results:

• MASE application significantly reduced TNF-α and NF-κB expression compared to the control group.
• The 50% MASE concentration exhibited the lowest expression levels for both TNF-α and NF-κB.
• While all MASE concentrations showed a reduction, the 50% group demonstrated the most pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.

Conclusions:

• Musa acuminata stem extract (MASE) gel possesses significant anti-inflammatory properties for oral mucosal wounds.
• MASE effectively downregulates key inflammatory markers TNF-α and NF-κB.
• A 50% concentration of MASE gel is most effective in mitigating oral wound inflammation.