Comparative efficacy of newer antioxidants spirulina and lycopene for the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis

Context: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a high-risk premalignant condition predominantly seen in the Indian subcontinent. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of spirulina and lycopene in the management of OSMF. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight subjects with clinico-pathologically diagnosed OSMF were included in the study which was conducted from March, 2013 to July, 2013. They were divided equally in two groups, Group A (spirulina group) and Group B (lycopene group). Group A was administered 500 mg spirulina in two divided doses for 3 months, and Group B was given 8 mg lycopene in two divided doses of 4 mg for 3 months. Evaluation for different clinical parameters was done at regular intervals and data was analyzed using the Student′s paired t-test and Chi-square test. P <0.001 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The patients in both the groups showed improvement in all the parameters measured. Clinical improvements in mouth opening was significant in Group B (P = 0.0006), whereas ulcers/erosions/vesicles significantly (P = 0.0001) improved in the Group A. However, there was no significant improvement in pain associated with the lesion (P = 0.004) and burning sensation (P = 0.005) among the two groups. Conclusion: Lycopene can bring about significant clinical improvements in the symptoms like mouth opening, while spirulina can significantly improve ulcers/erosion/vesicles. Both the drugs also showed improvement in pain associated with the lesion and burning sensation. Thus, both the drugs appear to be promising for the treatment of OSMF.