According to a new study by Stanford University School of Medicine, a compound found in citrus oil may help relieve dry mouth symptoms caused by radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients. The oil cells of citrus peel are rich in essential oils, about 0.5% to 2% of the fresh weight of the peel. The main ingredient of citrus essential oil is d-limonene (d-Limonene), and the main role for radioactive dry mouth is d-limonene.
This compound, called d-limonene, protects saliva cells of mice exposed to radiation therapy without weakening the effects of radiation on tumors. Researchers led by Julie Saiki have also shown that oral d-limonene can be transported to the salivary glands of the body. A series of experiments with mouse cells exposed to radiation showed that d-limonene reduced the concentration of aldehydes in adult and salivary stem and progenitor cells. Even when cells are treated for several weeks after radiation exposure, d-limonene can still improve its recovery ability, repair glandular structure and produce saliva. Mice receiving d-limonene and exposed to radiation also produced more saliva than mice not receiving d-limonene and exposed to radiation.
Asi 40% pacientov s rakovinou hlavy a krku podstupujúcich rádioterapiu trpí xerostómiou, ktorá je nielen nepohodlná, ale tiež sťažuje pacientom reč a prehĺtanie a je pravdepodobnejšie, že budú trpieť bolesťami v ústach alebo zubným kazom. prípady Môže spôsobiť stratu zubov. Navyše, aj keď v prvých niekoľkých rokoch po liečbe môže dôjsť k určitému zotaveniu, akonáhle dôjde k narušeniu tvorby slín, bude to mať obvykle vplyv na celý život. Následné výskumy pokračujú a ak to bude fungovať, bude sa liek bezpečne používať, aby sa zabránilo dlhodobému suchu v ústach a pacientom sa uľahčí tolerácia rádioterapie po liečbe a zlepšenie kvality života.
