Medicinal Plant Used in Management of Mouth Ulcer: A Review

Mouth ulcer is a common oral condition that may be associated with local trauma, aphthous stomatitis and other factors. Herbal medicines have been traditionally used for the management of oral disorders because many medicinal plants contain bioactive constituents with reported antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-healing properties. This review summarizes medicinal plants reported for the management of mouth ulcer and discusses their traditional or experimental use in herbal formulations. Plants such as Aloe barbadensis, Psidium guajava, Glycyrrhiza glabra ,Curcuma longa, Punica granatum, Piper betle, Cordia dichotoma, Capsicum annuum and Morinda citrifolia have been reported in the literature. Herbal gels and other preparations containing these plants have also been investigated. The available literature provides a basis for further research and formulation development; however,evidence varies among individual plants and many reports are experimental rather than clinical. The two most causes are aphthous stomatitis, alsoknown as canker soreness, and local injury or trauma, such as rubbing agains t a tooth or dental filling's sharp edge. Aphthous stomatitis causes mouth ulcers to occur repeatedly, and its exact cause is often not known.