A clinicobiochemical evaluation of curcumin as gel and as buccal mucoadhesive patches in the management of oral submucous fibrosis.

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of topical curcumin gel and buccal mucoadhesive patches in the management of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Study Design Forty patients clinically diagnosed with OSMF were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A received curcumin gel and group B received curcumin mucoadhesive patches, to be used twice daily for 8 weeks. Evaluation was done every 2 weeks. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured before and after treatment and also in 20 healthy controls. Results A 100% reduction in burning sensation was observed in all 40 patients at the end of 4 weeks. Mouth opening improved by 5.45 ± 1.64 mm in group A and 5.9 ± 2.00 mm in group B. Pretreatment LDH was 359.72 ± 77.02 IU/L in patients with OSMF, which was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers (173.2 ± 46.20 IU/L). In group A, LDH values reduced from 341.85 ± 71 IU/L to 264.95 ± 65.09 IU/L and in group B, values reduced from 377.6 ± 79.76 IU/L to 286.15 ± 72.95 IU/L after treatment. Conclusion Curcumin gel and mucoadhesive patches were effective in improving mouth opening and reducing burning sensation in patients with OSMF. They can therefore be considered as safe, noninvasive modalities for treatment of OSMF.