Comparison of Nigella Sativa Oil With Conventional Management on Clinical Outcomes in Oral Submucous Fibrosis

OSMF is a chronic insidious disorder of the oral cavity which has a great potential to turn malignant. The clinical manifestations of OSMF comprise of white, marble-like appearance of the oral mucosa with loss of flexibility and formation of palpable fibrous bands extending from the anterior to the posterior region of the oral cavity.Other features include burning sensation on taking spicy food, loss of papillae of the tongue, loss of natural pigmentation of the lips and restricted mouth opening.

There is no definitive treatment available for OSMF due to its complex etiology. The most essential component in the management of OSMF is the discontinuation of the habit of areca nut chewing by the patient followed by conservative or surgical treatment. Currently, steroids are the most commonly used drug group in managing OSMF because of their ability to reduce the inflammatory process and increasing the apoptosis of inflammatory cells thereby decreasing fibrosis. However, they are not very useful in reversing the pathology and restoring mucosal elasticity and can cause mucosal thinning with long term use ultimately resulting in worsening of the symptoms of the disease.

Many in- vitro and in- vivo studies have been conducted to establish the anti neoplastic, anti inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties of N.sativa oil. Among all the constituents of Nigella sativa, Thymoquinone (Tq) is the most pharmacologically active constituent responsible for most of its properties. Nigella sativa has been used widely in different food preparations in the form of a flavoring agent or a spice. It is also recognized as 'safe' in the inventory of United States Food and Drug administration.