Efficacy of lycopene for management of oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits the collagen accumulation of oral submucous fibrosis induced by arecoline

Objective

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic oral mucosal disease, which exerts a profound impact on patients' daily life and currently lacks efficacious therapeutic interventions. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the abundant polyphenol found in green tea, exhibits remarkable anti-fibrotic effects on the skin. However, the research on OSF regarding EGCG is relatively limited.

Purpose

We aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of EGCG against OSF using an arecoline (ARE) -induced rat model and primary rat oral fibroblasts.

Methods

Primary rat oral mucosal fibroblasts (ROMF) were isolated and identified. Optimal ARE concentrations were established using the Cell Counting Kit-8. The impact of ARE on extracellular matrix (ECM)-related protein expression was assessed through RT-qPCR and Western blot techniques. Similarly, the effects of EGCG on ARE-induced ECM changes in ROMF were evaluated. The study also established an OSF model in Sprague-Dawley rats, induced by ARE, with pathological changes characterized using HE and Masson's staining, further assessing the impact of ARE on ECM-related protein expression in rat oral tissues through RT-qPCR and Western blot methods.

Results

EGCG effectively suppressed the ARE-induced ECM components while concurrently improving the OSF pathological process in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the natural product EGCG effectively suppressed the increased ECM components induced by ARE and concurrently improved the OSF pathological process, indicating that EGCG could be potentially a novel anti-fibrotic candidate drug for the treatment of OSF.

Emerging functions of lycopene in the management of digestive premalignant lesions

Common digestive precancerous lesions, including oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), gastric ulcers and colorectal adenoma, harbor high risk of cancerous transformation. Early intervention of these lesions is significant to prevent carcinogenesis and improve patients' prognosis. Lycopene, a carotenoid predominantly accumulated in tomatoes, is clinically recommended with its cis structure; as lycopene harbors the most potent antioxidative effects among carotenoids, its chemopreventive effects on the premalignant lesions is noted. Despite several reviews have assessed lycopene's efficacy for OPMDs, emerging studies have reported varying efficacy for digestive precancerous lesion with no comprehensive summary. Therefore, this review initially evaluates the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of lycopene for management of digestive precancerous lesions. According to the included studies, lycopene may show high promise in the management of digestive precancerous lesions, such as relieving mouth opening and burning sensation of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), presenting potentially equivalent efficacy on managing oral lichen planus (OLP) as steroids and alleviating gastrointestinal precancers' symptoms, meanwhile lowering colon cancer risk. Moreover, its mechanisms for managing digestive precancerous lesions are concretely summarized, including anti-oxidative stress effects, anti-inflammatory response and regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis, especially its modifications on TLR4/TRIF/NF-κB signaling pathway and p53-dependent cell cycle control and apoptosis. More studies are warranted to confirm its long-term efficacy and preventive role against malignant transformation of digestive precancerous lesions as evidence is insufficient.

Regenerative potential of platelet concentrates in chronic oral mucosal lesions

Chronic oral mucosal diseases (COMDs) represent a significant challenge for clinicians and patients. They are commonly associated with chronic pain and negative effects on healing and patient's quality of life. Regenerative medicine including the use of biological autologous blood-derived substances (e.g., platelet concentrates [PCs]), has been reported to improve healing and reduce pain in orthopedic and maxillofacial surgeries as well as chronic oral mucosal diseases. In this review, we aim to describe the different types of PCs and their applications in the management of COMDs such as lichen planus, mucositis, pemphigus vulgaris, mucous membrane pemphigoid, and plasma cell mucositis, in terms of healing potential, pain control, and quality of life. Overall, PC applications seem to enhance healing and reduce pain in patients with COMDs. However, due to the small sample size and the lack of standardized clinical trials, further research is required to support these findings.

Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection: An Exploratory Systematic Review

Different efforts have been made to find better and less invasive methods for the diagnosis and prediction of oral cancer, such as the study of saliva as a source of biomarkers. The aim of this study was to perform a scoping review about salivary molecules that have been assessed as possible biomarkers for the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A search was conducted using EBSCO, PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science. The research question was as follows: which molecules present in saliva have utility to be used as biomarkers for the early detection of oral cancer? Sixty-two studies were included. Over 100 molecules were assessed. Most of the markers were oriented towards the early diagnosis of OSCC and were classified based on their ability for detecting OSCC and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), OSCC outcome prediction, and the prediction of the malignant transformation of OPMDs. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 IL-8, LDH, and MMP-9 were the most studied, with almost all studies reporting high sensitivity and specificity values. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 IL-8, LDH, and MMP-9 are the most promising salivary biomarkers. However, more studies with larger cohorts are needed before translating the use of these biomarkers to clinical settings.

Antioxidant treatments in patients with oral submucous fibrosis: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a well-known precancerous oral lesion, characterized by scarring, tissue fibrosis, and premalignant lesions. The goal of clinical treatment is to reduce inflammation and improve patients' quality of life by enhancing mouth opening among others. Antioxidant treatment has shown promising results in inducing regression of lesions and preventing OSMF in high-risk individuals. This study investigates the effectiveness of various antioxidant agents against OSMF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study followed PRISMA guidelines and searched three scientific databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, using specific algorithms related to "antioxidant treatment," "burning sensation," and "mouth opening." The quality assessment of controlled clinical studies adhered to Cochrane guidelines.

RESULTS

The analysis included 19 clinical trials comparing different treatments, including various antioxidants. Aloe vera, curcumin, and lycopene, among others, showed positive outcomes in treating OSMF by improving burning sensation, mouth opening, tongue protrusion, and cheek flexibility.

CONCLUSION

Antioxidant therapies are found to be effective in treating OSMF, even when compared to conventional treatments such as corticosteroids. The study highlights the need for further research and standardization of clinical protocols.