Haria Fitri¹, Nila Kasuma² , Hardisman³, Hirowati Ali⁴

¹Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine,; ²Department of Oral Biology, Dentistry Faculty,; ³Department of Public Health,; ⁴Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Sumatra Barat, Indonesia.

For correspondence:-  Nila Kasuma   Email: nilakasuma@dent.unand.ac.id

Received: 15 September 2025        Accepted: 18 April 2026        Published: 30 April 2026

Citation: Fitri H, Kasuma N, Hardisman , Ali H. Efficacy of topical collagen in modulating salivary transforming growth factor-? for gingival inflammation management: A systematic review. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(4):519-532 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i4.9

© 2026 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of topical collagen in altering salivary Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) levels and enhancing clinical periodontal parameters associated with gingival inflammation. Methods: An exhaustive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from 2010 to 2025. The search process included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that examined the effects of topical collagen on salivary TGF-β and outcomes such as the Gingival Index (GI), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), and Probing Depth (PD). Subsequently, Cochrane RoB2 and ROBINS-I tools were used to assess the likelihood of bias. Results: The results showed that a total of 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. After collagen therapy, all participants showed a significant decrease in salivary TGF-β (22 – 35 %, p < 0.05). The use of collagen gel, combined with scaling and root planing (SRP), reduced TGF-β levels by approximately 35 % after four weeks. A significant improvement was also observed in GI and BOP, while some trials showed that PD levels decreased. There was often a strong positive correlation (r < 0.82) between the decrease of salivary TGF-β and clinical improvement. Conclusions: Topical use of collagen significantly reduces TGF-β levels in saliva, thereby improving clinical periodontal, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties. This review recommends consistent application methods and multicenter RCTs to improve biomarker-guided collagen therapy for periodontal care.

Keywords: Topical collagen, Transforming Growth Factor-?, Gingival inflammation, Salivary biomarker periodontal therapy

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)