Pilot trial evaluating Arrabidaea chica gel’s therapeutic effect on oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing treatment

Oral mucositis is a common side effect in patients with head and neck cancer who require treatments with effective outcomes [ 1 ]. The management of this condition remains limited and is primarily palliative [ 2 ]. Arrabidaea chica demonstrates a safe healing potential by stimulating fibroblast proliferation, enhancing collagen synthesis, and exhibiting antioxidant activity without associated toxicity [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of a mucoadhesive gel containing 2.5% Arrabidaea chica extract in patients diagnosed with oral mucositis resulting from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, in comparison to treatment with low-intensity laser therapy. The study was designed as a randomized, parallel, open-label clinical trial and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Campinas (CAAE: 55933516.3.0000.5404).The control group received an 808-nm infrared low-intensity laser in lesion areas during 40 s and the intervention group; treatment received A. chica gel three times per day. Mucositis data outcome considered time in days, pain assessment by a visual analogue scale. The control group comprised five participants treated with low-intensity laser, with the intervention group encompassing six participants. The groups treated with laser and 2.5% A. chica gel showed a 2.4±1.9 and 3.3±3.4 (p=0.605) pain scores, respectively. Trial outcome gave for laser and A. chica gel an average of 16.4±8.6 and 9.2±3.1 (p=0.085) days to heal. The study was discontinued due to difficulties in recruiting volunteers. The patients only visited the hospital to receive antineoplastic therapy. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany