Aloe Vera and Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity

Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect3 studies · 2 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects of aloe vera on reducing oral mucositis severity, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate, while 1 neutral review found no significant benefit. The beneficial findings come from a meta-analysis (2011) and a systematic review (2023), both in clinical cancer populations. The evidence base is small and preliminary, with no consistent dose or form data available.

Studied populations: patients receiving treatment for cancer (including head and neck cancer patients and pediatric oncology patients)

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. The neutral finding from the 2025 systematic review focused specifically on pediatric patients, so benefit may be less certain in this subgroup. Effect sizes were small to moderate, and no dose or form data were consistently reported.

Generated Jul 12, 2026

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
Ten interventions were found to have some benefit with regard to preventing or reducing the severity of mucositis associated with cancer treatment.
from: Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

3 of 3 papers

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.
- 2011-04-13
- Meta-Analysis · n = 131
- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2021(3)
- - Helen V Worthington
  - Jan E Clarkson
  - Gemma Bryan
  - Susan Furness
  - Anne-Marie Glenny
  - Anne Littlewood
  - Martin G McCabe
  - Stefan Meyer
  - Tasneem Khalid
- PubMed: 21491378
- DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd000978.pub5
1 Insight on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Highly Cited
- Clinical
Ten interventions, where there was more than one trial in the meta-analysis, showed some statistically significant evidence of a benefit (albeit sometimes weak) for either preventing or reducing the severity of mucositis, compared to either a placebo or no treatment. These ten interventions were: aloe vera, amifostine, cryotherapy, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), intravenous glutamine, honey, keratinocyte growth factor, laser, polymixin/tobramycin/amphotericin (PTA) antibiotic pastille/paste and sucralfate.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Nutritional and Supplemental Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Oncology.
- 2025-11-11
- Systematic Review
- Nutrients 17(22)
- - Razvan Mihai Horhat
  - Alexandru Alexandru
  - Cristiana-Smaranda Ivan
  - Norberth-Istvan Varga
  - Madalina-Ianca Suba
  - Elena Ciurariu
  - Monica Susan
  - Razvan Susan
  - Adrian Cote
- PubMed: 41305573
- DOI: 10.3390/nu17223521
4 Insights on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
Interventions tested included systemic supplements (e.g., glutamine, zinc, and bovine colostrum), topically applied agents (e.g., honey, vitamin E, Aloe vera, and olive oil), and nutrient-containing rinses (e.g., chamomile, Caphosol, and Traumeel S). Honey-based interventions showed promising outcomes.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Effectiveness of natural-based products for radiation-induced oral mucositis therapy: A systematic review.
- 2023
- Systematic Review
- Cancer treatment and research communications 36
- - Zulfa Fidi Pranadwista
  - Nanan Nur'aeny
- PubMed: 37209466
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2023.100720
5 Insights on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Clinical
Eight of the twelve included articles showed significant effectiveness against RIOM in various parameters, such as a decrease in severity
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes

Aloe Vera and Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

Nutritional and Supplemental Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Oncology.

Effectiveness of natural-based products for radiation-induced oral mucositis therapy: A systematic review.