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

Sadeq A Al-Maweri; Esam Halboub; Gamilah Al-Qadhi; Mohammed Al-Wesabi; Hesham Mohammed Al-Sharani; Sameena Parveen; Najah Alhashimi; Asma Almeslet; Mohammed Nasser Alhajj

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2022.08.004

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

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2023 Jan;135(1):79-95. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2022.08.004. Epub 2022 Aug 23.

Authors

Sadeq A Al-Maweri¹, Esam Halboub², Gamilah Al-Qadhi³, Mohammed Al-Wesabi⁴, Hesham Mohammed Al-Sharani⁵, Sameena Parveen⁶, Najah Alhashimi⁷, Asma Almeslet⁸, Mohammed Nasser Alhajj⁹

Affiliations

¹ College of Dental Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
² Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Department of Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana'a University, Yemen.
³ Department of Basic Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Science and Technology, Sana'a, Yemen.
⁴ Department of Preventive and Biomedical Science, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Science and Technology, Sana'a, Yemen.
⁵ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen; Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
⁶ Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
⁷ College of Dental Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Orthodontics Section, Hamad Dental Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
⁸ Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Thamar University, Dhamar, Yemen. Electronic address: m.n.alhajj@hotmail.com.

PMID: 36167720
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2022.08.004

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the available evidence on the efficacy of lycopene in the management of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs).

Study design: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and ProQuest databases were searched up to April 20, 2022. All clinical trials that assessed the efficacy of lycopene (I) on the signs/symptoms (O) of patients with OPMDs (P) in comparison to either active control or placebo (C) were included. Meta-analysis was conducted using the RevMan software (Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK).

Results: A total of 27 clinical trials (20 on oral submucosa fibrosis [OSF], 5 on oral lichen planus [OLP], and 2 on leukoplakia) were included. Overall, lycopene was efficacious in reducing signs and symptoms of OSF, OLP, and leukoplakia. The pooled data revealed comparable efficacy of lycopene and prednisolone in reducing pain and promoting clinical resolution of OLP. Additionally, the pooled data reported comparable efficacy of lycopene and conventional controls in improving the mouth opening and tongue protrusion in patients with OSF.

Conclusions: The results reveal promising effects of lycopene in alleviating signs and symptoms of OSF, OLP, and leukoplakia. However, owing to the observed heterogeneity and short follow-up periods, further well-designed studies with long-term therapy and follow-up are highly recommended.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Leukoplakia
Lichen Planus, Oral* / drug therapy
Lycopene / therapeutic use
Mouth Diseases*
Oral Submucous Fibrosis* / drug therapy
Precancerous Conditions*

Substances

Lycopene