In Vitro Evaluation of the Effect of Oleanolic Acid as a Potential Root Canal Medicament on Viability and Proliferation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Objective In light of the potential drawbacks associated with certain intracanal medicaments, such as triple antibiotic paste (TAP) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH2)), the introduction of herbal agents has ushered in a new era in the field of dentistry. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the impact of oleanolic acid (OA) on the viability and proliferation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), comparing its effects to those of conventional intracanal medicaments, TAP and Ca(OH2). Materials and Methods DPSCs were derived from the third molars of an adult donor. Flow cytometry was utilized to do a phenotypic study on DPSCs. The methyl-thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) test was used to evaluate cellular viability. The cells were subjected to various concentrations of TAP and Ca(OH)2 (5, 2.5, 1, 0.5, and 0.25 mg/mL), in addition to OA (40, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 µM). A cell proliferation experiment assessed the cell growth precisely at 3, 5, and 7 days. Results DPSCs were characterized by flow cytometry. The mesenchymal markers (CD73, CD90, and CD105) had a positive expression. However, the hematological markers (CD14, CD34, and CD45) showed negligible expression. A notable reduction in cellular viability was seen in cells subjected to concentrations exceeding 0.5 mg/mL of TAP and Ca(OH)2 compared to the cells that were not treated (p < 0.05). The cells treated with different concentrations of OA 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 µM did not exhibit any significant variance in cell viability compared to untreated cells (p > 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of OA (20, 10, and 5 µM) showed high proliferation level compared to TAP and Ca(OH2) especially 5µM of OA after 7 days (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our results revealed that OA exerted significant effect on the viability and proliferation of DPSCs compared to TAP and Ca(OH2).