Lauric Acid as a Topical Agent for Oral Wound Healing in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Background. Soft tissue wounds are common in the oral cavity and can be treated with various medicines. Several conventional treatments aid in wound healing; however, some are expensive and have side effects. Consequently, natural products and their components have been studied for their potential wound-healing properties. An example of this is coconut oil, which is often credited with various health benefits and contains lauric acid as its primary fatty acid component. Lauric acid has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties; however, its effect on wound healing has yet to be explored.

Objective. The study aimed to determine the effect of lauric acid on the healing of experimentally induced soft tissue wounds on the buccal mucosa of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Methods. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three main groups and subjected to a wounding procedure using a 4 mm diameter punch biopsy instrument, followed by daily application of a topical material. The vehicle control group (n = 16) received hydroxyethyl cellulose gel (HEC); the experimental group (n = 16) received lauric acid gel (LA); and the positive control group (n = 16) received 0.2% hyaluronic acid gel (HA). The three main groups were further divided into four subgroups and randomly assigned to an experimental time point (day 3, 7, 14, 21). Soft tissue wound healing at each time point was evaluated using the Healing Index (HI), by computing the Percentage Area Reduction (PAR), and through histological examination. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and post-hoc Dunn’s test.

Results. HI scores within the three main groups and across different experimental time points showed a significant difference (p<0.05); however, the HI of subgroups assigned to the same experimental time point was not statistically different. PAR and HHS results showed no significant difference between the LA and HA groups.

Conclusion. Lauric acid promotes healing of soft tissue wounds on the buccal mucosa of Sprague-Dawley rats.