POTENTIAL OF CHITOSAN BLACK SOLDIER FLIES (Hermetia Illucens) PUPAE ON POST-EXTRACTION WOUND HEALING PROCESS Chitosan can accelerate the wound healing process by increasing inflammatory cells, such as macrophages, and increases fibroblast proliferation after tooth extraction. The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) pupae containing 35% chitin, which can be processed into chitosan and was found to have potential benefits in post-extraction wound healing. This study aimed to assess the potential of chitosan BSF pupae by monitoring the presence of macrophages and fibroblasts after tooth extraction. Chitosan BSF pupae was made into a gel preparation. Eighteen male Cavia cobaya were divided into control and treatment groups (n = 9 each). BSF pupae chitosan gel was applied to the post-extraction tooth socket in the treatment group (CBSF), while none was applied to the control group (CC). The samples were decapitated on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th days by cutting the mandibular bone for histopathological examination, which was carried out by measuring the number of macrophages and fibroblasts through microscopic observation and data analysis. There an increase in macrophages evident in CBSF group than in CC group on the 2nd and 3rd days, while a decrease was seen on the 5th day of CBSF group than CC group. There was an increase in fibroblasts evident in CBSF group than in CC group on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th days. Kruskal Wallis test indicated a significant difference in macrophages between the control and the treatment group (p = 0.006), and the One-way ANOVA test showed a significant difference in fibroblasts between both groups (p = 0.000). In conclusion, the application of chitosan BSF pupae accelerated the post-extraction wound healing process in Cavia cobaya by modulating the number of macrophages and increasing the number of fibroblasts.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the views and practices of healthcare providers and barriers they encountered when implementing the national health screening program for men in a public primary care setting in Malaysia. Methods: An online survey was conducted among healthcare providers across public health clinics in Malaysia. All family medicine specialists, medical officers, nurses and assistant medical officers involved in the screening program for adult men were invited to answer a 51-item questionnaire via email or WhatsApp. The questionnaire comprised five sections: participants’ socio-demographic information, current screening practices, barriers and facilitators to using the screening tool, and views on the content and format of the screening tool. Results: A total of 231 healthcare providers from 129 health clinics participated in this survey. Among them, 37.44% perceived the implementation of the screening program as a “top-down decision.” Although 37.44% found the screening tool for adult men “useful,” some felt that it was “time consuming” to fill out (38.2%) and “lengthy” (28.3%). In addition, ‘adult men refuse to answer’ (24.1%) was cited as the most common patient-related barrier. Conclusions: This study provided useful insights into the challenges encountered by the public healthcare providers when implementing a national screening program for men. The screening tool for adult men should be revised to make it more user-friendly. Further studies should explore the reasons why men were reluctant to participate in health screenings, thus enhancing the implementation of screening programs in primary care.