Photobiomodulation versus Arrabidaea chica in the management of oral mucositis
an integrative literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36557/2674-8169.2026v8n6p1210-1228Keywords:
Stomatitis, Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) ou Low-intensity laser therapy, Phytotherapy, Wound HealingAbstract
Oral mucositis is a common complication of antineoplastic treatment, particularly in patients undergoing chemotherapy and head and neck radiotherapy, causing pain, feeding difficulties, risk of infections, and impact on therapeutic continuity. Among management strategies, photobiomodulation and emerging phytotherapeutic approaches, such as formulations based on Arrabidaea chica Verlot, also described as Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L.G. Lohmann, stand out. This study aims to analyze the scientific evidence regarding the efficacy, safety, and clinical applicability of photobiomodulation compared to the use of Arrabidaea chica / Fridericia chica in the treatment of oral mucositis. The method employed was an integrative literature review conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, including publications from 2011 to 2026, in Portuguese and English, with full text available. Clinical trials, experimental studies, reviews, and clinical guidelines were included. Photobiomodulation demonstrated consistent evidence in pain reduction, inflammatory modulation, tissue repair acceleration, and functional improvement. Formulations based on Arrabidaea chica exhibited antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties, as well as promising preliminary results concerning safety and reparative potential. Photobiomodulation holds the strongest scientific support for the treatment of oral mucositis, while Arrabidaea chica presents therapeutic potential that still requires further clinical validation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Elisa Mariz Dantas, Paola Fernanda Leal Corazza, Helga Bezerra Dantas, Michele Coelho Ferreira, Elaine Marcílio Santos, Gustavo Duarte Mendes, José Cássio de Almeida Magalhaes, Gabriela Traldi Zaffalon, Gabriel Mariano Furlan, Reinaldo Oliveira Guedes Junior, Daniel Furtado Silva, Ana Carolina Lyra de Albuquerque, Maurício Teixeira Duarte, Fernando Martins Baeder
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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