A Review on Pharmacological Potential of Various Synthetic and Phytoconstituents in Managing Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) is a condition characterized by the development of ulcers and lesions, in the mouth. It affects a wide portion of the population ranging from 5% to 25%. RAS more commonly affects labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, and tongue. Managing RAS involves treatment approaches that can be applied directly to the affected area as well as can be administered internally. Topical therapies involve using anesthetics, corticosteroids, and anti-inflammatory agents to alleviate symptoms. Systemic options include medications like colchicine, dapsone, clofazimine, levamisole, thalidomide and zinc supplements. However, for managing RAS no standardized and curative treatments are available. Thus, the objective of any treatment should be to lessen pain, reduce the duration of ulcers, and inhibit recurrence. Also, this work enlists various cells, receptors and pathways which need to be considered while developing an efficient therapy for RAS. Furthermore, herbal remedies can be beneficial in managing RAS without many side effects as in the case of some synthetic drugs. Some herbal treatments that have shown promise include Punica granatum var. pleniflora, Curcuma longa (turmeric), Hangeshinto and many more are reviewed in this work which will be a promising herbal drug to develop polyherbal dosage form for the same.