Evaluation of cinnamaldehyde mucoadhesive patches on minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Background & objective The use of herbal medicines to treat common oral diseases increases rapidly. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is one of the most common oral mucosal diseases, which has an unclear etiology and could lead to severe pain and dysfunction. Cinnamaldehyde is a major component of cinnamon bark oil. Biological properties of cinnamaldehyde, such as antioxidant, antitumor, antifungal, cytotoxic, and anti-mutational characteristics, have been identified. Considering the prevalence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis and the importance of using herbal resources for treatment, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of mucosal adhesive patches containing Cinnamaldehyde on minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis lesions. Material & methods In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial, patients were divided into two groups. The intervention group received three daily mucosal adhesive patches to be used in the morning, afternoon, and night. The control group also did the same with a placebo. To evaluate the healing and determine the diameter of the lesions, patients were clinically examined on days zero, 3, 5, and 7. The VAS scale evaluated pain at baseline and after each meal for seven days. The Fisher's exact test, t-test, Shapiro Wilk test, Friedman test, and the Mann–Whitney test were used to analyze the data using the SPSS 20 software. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the mean diameter of the inflammatory lesion and pain intensity in the two groups in the baseline ( p > 0.05). However, the ulcer size was significantly reduced in the cinnamaldehyde group on the third, fifth, and seventh days of the study. Except for baseline, the mean pain intensity significantly decreased in the cinnamaldehyde group compared to the placebo group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Cinnamaldehyde mucoadhesive patches effectively reduced and improved aphthous lesions and pain intensity in patients and can be considered a treatment for RAS. Registration number: IRCT20180312039060N2—First registration date: 20/07/2018. The present study was registered as a retrospective study.