In vivo study of Polypodium leucotomos phytotherapy effect in oral cancer

Abstract

Oral cancer is among the 8th most common cancers in the world and has high incidence rates in Brazil, representing an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent form of oral cavity cancer, and despite advances and discoveries in recent years, the prognosis of this disease is still unpredictable, and its treatment is still agreed upon by surgery - often mutilating - associated or not the radio and chemotherapy. The phytotherapeutic Polypodium leucotomos has been evaluated in recent studies for the determination of anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and antioxidant characteristics. It is also suspected of a tumor suppressive action, but almost nothing is clearly known about it. For these, and some other reasons described below, this phytotherapic seems a very plausible target for further studies in the search for potential therapeutic agents of oral cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the extract Polypodium leucotomos treatment during oral carcinogenesis of OSCC chemically-induced in Balb/c mice. The macro and microscopic analyzes will take place throughout the experiments during OSCC development, by comparing groups of animals treated and not treat for the referred periods of treatment with PL. Our study may demonstrate, for the first time, the antitumor potential of the Polypodium Leucotomos extract as an effective oral cancer prevention and/or treatment agent.