EFFECT OF TURMERIC OIL AND TURMERIC OLEORESIN ON CYTOGENETIC DAMAGE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS

In vitro studies on the effect of alcoholic extracts of turmeric (TE), turmeric oil (TO) and turmeric oleoresin (TOR), on the incidence of m icronuclei (Mn) in lymphocytes from normal healthy subjects showed tha t the test compounds did not cause any increase in the number of Mn as compared with those found in untreated controls, Further it was obser ved that all three compounds offered protection against benzo[a]pyrene induced increase in Mn in circulating lymphocytes. In subsequent stud ies, patients suffering from submucous fibrosis were given a total ora l dose of TO (600 mg TO mixed with 3 g TE/day), TOR (600 mg + 3 g TE/d ay) and 3 g TE/day as a control for 3 months. It was observed that all three treatment modalities decreased the number of micronucleated cel ls both in exfoliated oral mucosal cells and in circulating lymphocyte s. TOR was found to be more effective in reducing the number of Mn in oral mucosal cells (P < 0.001), but in circulating lymphocytes the dec rease in Mn was comparable in all three groups. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd.