Role of nano curcumin on superoxide dismutase levels in leukoplakia

INTRODUCTION: Oral leukoplakia has an estimated prevalence of 2% of the oral cavity, one of the risk factors for oral cancers. The most commonly linked etiology being tobacco smoking causing reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced DNA damage. Curcumin, a polyphenol derivative from herbal remedy, possesses diverse properties ranging from centuries old documented anti-inflammatory properties to recently documented anticancer properties. AIMS: Role of nano curcumin on superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in leukoplakia patients’ pre- and post-treatment MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group comprised thirty test subjects. Single capsule of 250 mg (Brecan Plus) was given to the test group for 30 days with weekly follow-up. Blood samples were taken from the test group and were evaluated for SOD levels before and after the completion of the trial. RESULTS: In the study, there was a decrease in size of the lesion, number of lesions, down staging of the disease, and increase in serum SOD levels after the therapy. Binary logistic retrogression analysis was done to assess the predictive ability of serum SOD-dependent variable, and a positive association was noted between increase in serum SOD level and down staging of the disease. CONCLUSION: Nano curcumin is an excellent medical nutrition intervention derived from traditional natural products. The study has demonstrated the clinical efficacy of these new classes of therapeutic nutraceuticals such as nanocurcumin in treating oral leukoplakia, which are suitable for long-term use.