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.
Približno 40% bolnikov z rakom glave in vratu, ki se zdravijo z radioterapijo, trpi za kserostomijo, ki je ne samo neprijetna, ampak tudi otežuje govor in požiranje, verjetneje pa trpi zaradi bolečin v ustih ali kariesa, pri nekaterih pa primeri Lahko povzročijo izgubo zob. Poleg tega, čeprav lahko v prvih nekaj letih po zdravljenju pride do določenega okrevanja, ko slina postane oslabljena, bo to običajno prizadeto celo življenje. Kasnejše raziskave so v teku in če bo delovalo, se bo zdravilo varno uporabljalo za dolgoročno preprečevanje suhih ust in olajšanje bolnikov, da bodo po zdravljenju prenašali radioterapijo in izboljšali kakovost življenja.
