Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, characterized by ineffective treatments approaches and increasing resistance to conventional chemotherapeutics. Considering these challenges, this study aims to assess the potential of essential oils as a therapeutic alternative. The research specifically focuses on investigating the cytotoxic effect in tumor cells within in vitro and in vivo models when essential oils are employed as a therapy in comparison to traditional drugs for managing oral cancer. Comprehensive search was conducted across various scientific databases, resulting in the inclusion of 16 studies within this systematic review. The gathered data strongly suggest that essential oils exhibit significant efficacy in inhibiting cell viability, particularly when utilized as a substitute therapy for oral cancer. These essential oils display varying levels of effectiveness, with observed inhibition rates ranging from 48% an impressive 99.3%. Notably, certain essential oils have shown remarkable potential, achieving an outstanding 99.3% cell viability inhibition. In summary, the findings of this study underscore the substantial impact of utilizing essential oils as either a monotherapy or combination therapy in the treatment of oral cancer. While they may not achieve 100% inhibition, essential oils hold great promise in advancing the fight against cancer.