Evaluation of the Efficacy of Curcumin in the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic immunological, mucocutaneous disease with a wide range of clinical appearances. The treatment of oral lichen planus is often difficult and disappointing. We have studied the efficacy of curcumin, a low molecular weight flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, in the treatment of OLP. In this study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with a total of 20 OLP patients. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, each treated with curcumin tablets at a dose of 2000 mg/day or placebo for a period of four weeks. Furthermore, the patients of both groups received routine treatment for OLP (i.e. Mouthwash Dexamethasone 0.5 mg and suspension Nystatin 100,000 Units). The baseline data were recorded for each patient. Patients were evaluated on day 14 and after completing the course of treatment. Pain and burning sensation were measured based on the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Thongprasom Index was used for clinical improvement and healing. Mann-Whitney and independent t-test were used to compare the responses between the two groups, p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Our analyses demonstrated no significant difference between the curcumin and placebo treated groups. In conclusion, curcumin had no detectable effect in the treatment of OLP. However, a higher dose of curcumin administration and other forms of curcumin with improved bioavailability may be considered in future studies.