Radiation-induced
oral mucositis (RIOM) is one of the common toxic reactions from ionizing radiation and normal tissue
injuries as a complication of
radiation therapy and
chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy is an option for the treatment of
head and neck cancer (HNC). The use of natural products is an alternative
therapy for RIOM. This review aimed to describe the effectiveness of natural-based products (NBPs) in reducing the severity,
pain score, incidence, oral lesion size, and other symptoms such as
dysphagia,
dysarthria, and odynophagia. This systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (
PRISMA) guidelines. Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Ebscohost-CINAHL Plus databases were used for article searches. The inclusion criteria were studies published from 2012 to 2022 with full text available, in English, a study in humans, and a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) that evaluate the effect of NBPs
therapy in RIOM patients diagnosed with HNC. This study's population was HNC patients who had
oral mucositis after receiving radiation or chemical
therapy. The NBPs were manuka honey, thyme honey, aloe vera, calendula, zataria multiflora, Plantago major L., and turmeric. Eight of the twelve included articles showed significant effectiveness against RIOM in various parameters, such as a decrease in severity, incidence rate,
pain score, oral lesion size, and the other symptoms of
oral mucositis such as
dysphagia and
burning mouth syndrome. This review concludes that NBPs
therapy is effective for RIOM in HNC patients.