Efficacy of Garlic in Conjunction with Pentoxifylline in the Management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis – a Preliminary Study

Introduction and Objectives: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible disease of the oral mucosa. Though numerous modalities have been tried but all are palliative and have no curative value. Pentoxifylline possessing vasorelaxive and antifibrotic properties believed to potentiate the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immune modulating properties of garlic. So, the present preliminary clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of Garlic in conjunction with pentoxifylline in the management of OSMF. Methods: The study consisted of 15 OSMF patients. Pentoxifylline (400 mg) was administered thrice daily along with garlic pearls, 2 pearls; thrice daily. Drugs were administered systemically after food for a duration of 3 months. Patients were evaluated every 15 days for the assessment of clinical parameters, i.e. burning sensation, reduction in mouth opening, tongue protrusion and cheek flexibility. Pre and post treatment SOD level were measured and compared. The improvement was assessed at the end of the study. Results: All the patients were males with the mean age of 26.04 years. Patients exhibited a mean reduction of 95.68% in burning sensation and an increment of 5.37 mm in mouth opening. The cheek flexibility and tongue protrusion also showed significant improvements in the study groups. All the patients showed significant (p > 0.001) improvement in SOD levels following treatment. Conclusion: Overall assessment of the all clinico-biochemical parameters showed a significant improvement. Thus, choice of such therapy is beneficial, affordable, easily available and most importantly a non-invasive treatment modality for OSMF. INTRODUCTION: Most conditions affecting the oral mucosal health are acquired through environment and lifestyle factors. The use of tobacco and tobacco products has unfortunately pervaded the ordinary household from being only occasional fashionable attributes to chronic potential toxicants compromising the health of the consumers immensely. Initially, it starts with occasional usage and with time, these products make way into one‟s lifestyle resulting in addiction. QUICK RESPONSE CODE DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7(12).5017-23 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7 (12).5017-23 By the time one realizes the consequences of this addiction, it„s too late to revert back to normalcy since the damage is already done. Management of Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) has been a real challenge faced by the oral physicians. It is a chronic, insidious disease that is associated with significant functional morbidity and an increased risk of malignancy. 1 Though the etiology is elusive, numerous studies have explained its association with the usage of areca nut and betel quid (BQ) which are the practices of great antiquity in India and South East Asia. The chewing of BQ is associated with increased lipid peroxidation thereby generating free radicals and producing oxidative stress. Various experimental studies have shown that increased