Honey and Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity

• 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