Effect of Curcumin on Oral Lichen Planus: A Single Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Lichen planus management requires introducing effective local herbal ingredients and cost-effective treatments with fewer side effects compared with corticosteroids. Due to current condition and restrictions in making chemical drugs this study was done to investigate the effect of curcumin on oral lichen planus.

In a randomized controlled clinical trial, 28 patients with oral lichen planus were selected sequentially and were randomly divided into an intervention group and a placebo group (n= 14 per group). Patients in intervention group received topical corticosteroid, antifungal medication, and one Sina Curcumin capsule for a month. In placebo group, the patients were given corticosteroid, antifungal medication, and one placebo capsule for the same duration.

There were significant differences in appearance of lesions and pain before treatment (P=0.227 and P=0.769, respectively), two weeks after treatment (P=0.031 and P= 0.0497), and four weeks after treatment (P=0.0001 and P= 0.019). Lesion size did not show significant differences between the two groups before (P=0.349), two weeks after (P=0.213), and four weeks after treatment (P=0.123).

In the present study, pain and appearance of lesions improved in intervention group but lesion size was not found to improve significantly. According to current study, curcumin can be considered as an effective agent in treatment of oral lichen planus.