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 micronuclei (Mn) in lymphocytes from normal healthy subjects showed that the test compounds did not cause any increase in the number of Mn as compared with those found in untreated controls. Further it was observed that all three compounds offered protection against benzo[a]pyrene induced increase in Mn in circulating lymphocytes. In subsequent studies, patients suffering from submucous fibrosis were given a total oral dose of TO (600 mg TO mixed with 3 g TE/day), TOR (600 mg+3 g TE/day) and 3 g TE/day as a control for 3 months. It was observed that all three treatment modalities decreased the number of micronucleated cells both in exfoliated oral mucosal cells and in circulating lymphocytes. 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 decrease in Mn was comparable in all three groups.