@article {1531, title = {Healing with Herbs: Clinical Implications of Botanicals in Oral Cancer: A Comprehensive Systematic Review}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {18}, year = {2026}, month = {November 2025}, pages = {1-13}, type = {Review Article}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Background: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) poses a significant global health burden, with conventional treatments often limited by severe side effects and suboptimal efficacy. Botanical drugs have emerged as promising complementary therapies due to their multitargeted mechanisms, low systemic toxicity, and ability to enhance treatment outcomes. This review explores their anticancer potential, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications in OSCC. Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, and clinical relevance of botanical drugs in OSCC treatment and prevention, including their role in managing Oral Mucositis (OM). Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using databases like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Eligible studies included in vitro experiments on OSCC cell lines, animal models, and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT{\textquoteright}s) evaluating botanical drugs for OSCC treatment or chemo-radiotherapy-induced OM, while studies on non-standardized medicinal plant extracts were excluded. The ROBINS-I tool evaluated the risk of bias. Results: Nine studies met inclusion criteria, covering botanical agents such as genistein, curcumin, resveratrol, and Antitumor B (ATB). These compounds exhibited anticancer effects through apoptosis induction, angiogenesis inhibition, anti-inflammatory properties, and oxidative stress modulation. APG-157 and nanomicelle curcumin capsules effectively alleviated OM, improving patient quality of life. Challenges included low bioavailability and lack of standardization. Risk of bias was low in four studies and moderate in four. Conclusion: Botanical drugs demonstrate strong potential for OSCC treatment, offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer benefits with low systemic toxicity. They may serve as standalone or adjunct therapies, enhancing conventional treatments. However, further large-scale clinical trials and improved formulations are essential for clinical integration.

}, keywords = {anticancer, Botanical drugs, Chemo-radiotherapy, Complementary therapy, Oral mucositis., Oral squamous cell carcinoma}, doi = {10.5530/pres.20260047}, author = {Saranya Ramsridhar and Chandini Rajkumar and Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan and Arul Prakash Francis and Khadijah Mohideen and Murali Balasubramaniam and Ilanchezhian Jothi Prakaash} }