VIABILITY AND MORPHOLOGY OF HUMAN DENTAL PULP STEM CELLS IN THE PRESENCE OF CITRUS PECTIN

Abstract

Pectin is a galacturonic acid rich heteropolysaccharide which regulates plant cell metabolism. Plenty of fresh fruits and fruit pomaces from fruit juice production can be used as a raw material in commercial pectin production. Pectin occupies a large global market size especially in food industry and the utilization of waste materials for obtaining pectin molecules as a high value-added product makes it very favorite industrial material. Besides food industry, pectin is gaining attention in tissue engineering and drug development studies. In this study, the effects of citrus pectin on viability and morphology of human dental pulp stem cell (hDPSC) were investigated. The cells were cultured in the presence of pectin in culture medium (0.43, 0.85 and 1.7 mg/mL) for eight days. Resazurin application and MTT assay were applied on day one and eight for cellular viability. Cellular morphology was investigated by invert phase contrast microscope, live/dead cell staining and F-actin/nucleus immunofluorescence staining. MTT analysis results indicated that the viability of hDPSCs decreased significantly due to dissolved pectin in culture medium at applied concentrations. There was no significant morphological difference in the cells under invert phase contrast microscope and no significant staining difference in live/dead cell staining images. On the other hand, F-actin/nucleus staining showed that there were some condensed and crescent cell nuclei in the pectin applied groups when compared to the control groups which may be related to apoptosis. In conclusion, the viability of hDPSCs decreased and crescent cell nuclei formation was observed due to the presence of citrus pectin in the cell culture medium.