Evaluating the efficacy of curcumin in the management of oral potentially malignant disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#curcumin #humans #mouth-neoplasms #lichen-planus-oral #oral-submucous-fibrosis

Evaluating the efficacy of curcumin in the management of oral potentially malignant disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Shi et al., 2024 | PeerJ | Meta Analysis

Citation

Shi Wenjin, Wang Qiuhao, ... Luo Xiaobo. Evaluating the efficacy of curcumin in the management of oral potentially malignant disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2024;12:e18492. doi:10.7717/peerj.18492

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) not only harbour the risk of malignant transformation but can also affect patients' quality of life owing to severe symptoms. Therefore, there is an urgent need for therapeutic strategies to improve patients' quality of life. The objective of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively assess the efficacy of curcumin in the management of OPMDs. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of OPMDs from inception until March 2024. RevMan 5.4 software was used to perform statistical and subgroup analyses. RESULTS: Sixteen randomised controlled trials (1,089 patients) were selected. Curcumin exhibited comparable efficacy to conventional controls in alleviating pain (I2 = 98%, P = 0.49) and improving tongue protrusion (I2 = 94%, P = 0.51) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Additionally, topical use of curcumin had an efficacy equivalent to that of conventional therapy in reducing pain (I2 = 83%, P = 0.31) and facilitating clinical remission (I2 = 67%, P = 0.38) of oral lichen planus (OLP). CONCLUSION: The topical use of curcumin may palliate pain and promote clinical healing in OLP patients. Systemic curcumin can ameliorate the degree of pain and tongue protrusion in OSF. Therefore, our study suggests that curcumin could serve as an alternative treatment for managing OPMDs with lower medical toxicity than steroids, especially when steroids are not suitable. Further studies with larger sample sizes and adequate follow-up periods are required to validate our results.

Key Findings

Sixteen randomised controlled trials (1,089 patients) were selected. Curcumin exhibited comparable efficacy to conventional controls in alleviating pain (I2 = 98%, P = 0.49) and improving tongue protrusion (I2 = 94%, P = 0.51) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Additionally, topical use of curcumin had an efficacy equivalent to that of conventional therapy in reducing pain (I2 = 83%, P = 0.31) and facilitating clinical remission (I2 = 67%, P = 0.38) of oral lichen planus (OLP).

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 1089
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Curcumin
  • Humans
  • Mouth Neoplasms
  • Lichen Planus, Oral
  • Oral Submucous Fibrosis
  • Quality of Life
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Treatment Outcome

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
  • Vertical: curcumin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09