Zinc oxide and ellagic acid wound dressing enhances FGF-2 and VEGF expression during early excisional wound healing

INTRODUCTION: Zinc oxide-based periodontal dressings are widely used to protect surgical wounds, but conventional formulations have limited anti-inflammatory activity. Ellagic acid is a natural polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may improve local wound-healing response.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effect of a zinc oxide and ellagic acid wound dressing on fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression during early excisional wound healing.

METHODOLOGY: Standardized 10×10 mm dorsal excision wounds were created in 20 male Wistar rats. Control wounds received a zinc oxide dressing, whereas treatment wounds received zinc oxide combined with ellagic acid and coconut fatty acids. Tissue samples were collected on days 3 and 7. FGF-2 and VEGF expression were evaluated using immunohistochemistry and quantified as the mean number of positively stained cells in ten microscopic fields. Data were assessed for normality and homogeneity of variance and analyzed using two-way ANOVA to evaluate the effects of dressing type, observation time, and their interaction, followed by Tukey's post hoc test.

RESULTS: FGF-2 and VEGF expression were higher in the zinc oxide and ellagic acid groups than in the corresponding control groups on both days 3 and 7, with the highest expression observed in the treatment group on day 7. Two-way ANOVA showed significant effects of dressing type and observation time, as well as significant dressing × time interactions for both FGF-2 and VEGF.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the treatment-associated increase in growth factor expression was more pronounced on day 7. Zinc oxide and ellagic acid wound dressing increased FGF-2 and VEGF expression during early excisional wound healing, particularly on day 7. These findings suggest that adding ellagic acid to a zinc oxide-based dressing may support fibroblast-related tissue repair and angiogenic activity during the proliferative phase of wound healing.