Uso do extrato da casca do Anacardium Occidentale Linn no tratamento do líquen plano oral: ensaio clínico controlado e randomizado

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous condition of unknown etiology and unpredictable clinical course, with no cure. It presents various clinical manifestations in the oral mucosa, with erosive and atrophic forms being associated with pain, requiring symptomatic treatment, primarily with topical corticosteroids, which may cause adverse effects due to prolonged use. Thus, phytotherapeutics have been explored as promising alternatives for managing oral diseases, including OLP. In this context, extracts obtained from Anacardium occidentale Linn (cashew tree) have gained interest due to their potential therapeutic properties, being investigated as an innovative option for treating this condition. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy of a phytotherapeutic gel based on A. occidentale L. bark extract in the treatment of symptomatic OLP lesions. METHODOLOGY: This study is a controlled, randomized, transversal, and single-blind clinical trial conducted with patients clinically and histopathologically diagnosed with symptomatic OLP. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (n=7), treated with the phytotherapeutic gel, and control (n=7), treated with 0.05% clobetasol propionate gel. Efficacy was assessed weekly using a clinical score and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain intensity. RESULTS: Both treatments led to clinical improvement and pain reduction, with no statistically significant differences in the final CT scores (p=0.653) and VAS scores (p=0.191), indicating comparable efficacy. The phytotherapeutic gel demonstrated additional advantages: a lower rate of adverse effects and the absence of oral candidiasis, which was observed in 42.9% of the control group patients. Additionally, the recurrence rate of lesions was lower in the experimental group, suggesting a more sustained effect of the phytotherapeutic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The A. occidentale L.-based phytotherapeutic gel proved to be a promising alternative to conventional treatment, offering additional benefits such as a lower risk of adverse effects and economic accessibility. Future studies with a larger number of participants are recommended to consolidate these findings.