Comparative effects of riboflavin, nicotinamide and folic acid on alveolar bone loss: A morphometric and histopathologic study in rats.

Introduction: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory and osteolytic disease. Vitamin B complex is a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of riboflavin (RBF), nicotinamide (NA), and folic acid (FA) on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis rat model.

Methods: Sixty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following eight groups: Control, Ligated, RBF50 (RBF, 50 mg/kg daily), NA50 (NA, 50 mg/kg daily), FA50 (FA, 50 mg/kg daily), RBF100 (RBF, 100 mg/kg daily), NA100 (NA, 100 mg/kg daily), and FA100 (FA, 100 mg/kg daily). Periodontitis was induced using silk ligature around the right first mandibular molar. After 11 days the rats were sacrificed. Mandible and serum samples were collected. Changes in alveolar bone levels were measured clinically, and periodontal tissues were examined histopathologically. Serum IL-1β (pg/ml) levels were analyzed by using ELISA.

Results: Mean alveolar bone loss in the mandibular first molar tooth revealed to be significantly lower in RBF100 group than in the Control group. In the Ligated group, alveolar bone loss was significantly higher than in all other groups. The ratio of presence of inflammatory cell infiltration in the Ligated group was significantly higher than in the Control group. The differences in the serum IL-1β levels between the groups were not statistically significant. Osteoclasts that were observed in the Ligated group were significantly higher than those of the Control and FA100 groups. The osteoblastic activity in the Ligated group, RBF100, and NA100 groups were shown to be significantly higher than those in the Control group.

Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that systemic administration of RBF, NA, and FA in different dosages (50–100 mg/kg) reduced alveolar bone loss in periodontal disease in rats.