Nigella sativa Extract on Gingival Epithelium Exposed to LPS Porphyromonas gingivalis and Its Impact on the Expression of TLR-4 and NF-κB in vivo Study

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is capable of enhancing oral dysbiosis resulting in an imbalance between beneficial commensal and periodontal pathogenic bacteria that causes chronic inflammation. Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is a type of herbal plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and other properties. One of the main active ingredients is thymoquinone. Researchers conducted this research to determine the impact of using Nigella sativa as a component in the prevention or treatment of periodontal disease. This research included a lab experiment using a randomized post-test-only control group design. The animals used were male white Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus), aged 10-11 weeks, and weighing approximately 150-170 grams. All of them received adaptation for a week. Afterward, 45 of them were randomly allocated into three research groups: control group C (LPS P. gingivalis), group E1 (N. sativa extract + LPS), and group E2 (LPS + N. sativa). The rats were terminated after 7, 14, and 21 days and immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibody anti-TLR-4 and monoclonal antibody anti-NF-κB. The results showed that TLR-4 and NF-κB increased in group C and decreased in E1 and E2 groups. Although it was not statistically significant, the TLR-4 and NF-κB expression decreased more in the E2 group than in the E1 group. The result of this research shows that Nigella sativa can reduce the expression of TLR-4 and NF-κB as a part of the host’s innate defense.