LGR6 and β-catenin Expression in Wound Healing of Zinc Oxide and Curcuma longa Extract Dressing Application in Rattus norvegicus

Introduction: The eugenol component in commonly used wound dressings in dentistry can cause allergies and has a risk of cytotoxicity, necessitating the search for better materials. Curcuma longa rhizome, an herbal medicine commonly found in Indonesia, could serve as an alternative material. The wound-healing process relies to epidermal stem cells and two proteins that significantly influence epidermal stem cell growth are β-catenin and LGR6. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of zinc oxide and Curcuma longa extract combination dressing in promoting wound healing through β-catenin and LGR6 expression. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 5). Excision wounds were made on their back area. The treatment groups (T3, T5, T7, T14) received zinc oxide and Curcuma longa extract dressing, while the control groups (C3, C5, C7, C14) did not receive any dressing. Rats were sacrificed on days 3 (T3, C3), 5 (T5, C5), 7 (T7, C7), and 14 (T14, C14) to determine β-catenin and LGR6 expression through immunohistochemical staining. Tukey HSD and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Results: Immunohistochemical staining revealed a significant increase (p<0.05) in β-catenin expression between the control and treatment groups on days 3 (C3, T3), 5 (C5, T5), and 7 (C7, T7). LGR6 expression was significantly upregulated (p<0.05) only on day 14 (C14, T14). Conclusion: Zinc oxide and Curcuma longa dressing administration increased β-catenin and LGR6 expression in the wound healing process of Rattus norvegicus.