Table 5. Comparison between the studied groups regarding inflammatory cells over time.

CPC: cetylpyridinium chloride; SD: standard deviation; P1: difference between the control and Nigella sativa groups; P2: difference between the Nigella sativa and CPC oral gel groups; P3: difference between the CPC oral gel and wheat germ oil groups; P4: difference between the control and CPC oral gel groups; P5: difference between the control and wheat germ oil groups; P6: difference between the Nigella sativa and wheat germ oil groups; F: F-ratio, i.e., one-way ANOVA test; ANOVA: analysis of variance; HSD: Tukey's honestly significant difference; *p<0.05: statistically significant; **p≤0.001: statistically highly significant

Inflammatory cells	Groups				Sign. test
	Control group	Nigella sativa oil	CPC oral gel	Wheat germ oil group
	Mean±SD	Mean±SD	Mean±SD	Mean±SD	F	p
Day 3	285.5±20.65	141.67±8.37	223.33±22.78	120.07±6.54	242.8	<0.001**
HSD	P1<0.001**	P2<0.001**	P3<0.001**	P4<0.001**	P5=0.001**	P6=0.002*
Day 7	200.75±29.17	76.1±18.03	145.2±4.47	53±12.52	124.8	<0.001**
HSD	P1<0.001**	P2<0.001**	P3=0.001**	P4<0.001**	P5=0.011*	P6=0.011*
Day 9	134.5±10.61	22.8±3.56	64±0.71	34.2±2.63	432.6	<0.001**
HSD	P1<0.001**	P2<0.001**	P3<0.001**	P4<0.001**	P5=0.001**	P6=0.011*