Treating radiation-induced xerostomia with limonene formulation

Researchers may have uncovered a novel strategy to ameliorate xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer.

Although previous studies have shown that the administration of the citrus essential oil D-limonene could help treat radiation-induced xerostomia in this patient population, high doses of the oil are needed to be absorbed at effective levels. As a result, many patients experience gastrointestinal adverse effects.

In a preclinical study published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, researchers examined the efficacy of a lipid-based delivery approach to enhance the solubility of limonene.

The researchers found that the novel limonene-lipid formulation achieved up to a 180-fold increase in solubility as well as greater storage stability and oxidation protection compared with pure limonene. After assessing the novel formulation in Sprague Dawley rats, they discovered that the limonene-lipid formulation provided 51.25-fold more bioavailability compared with pure limonene.

The findings demonstrated the novel limonene-lipid formulation efficacy at improving saliva production without resulting in adverse effects.

Read more: International Journal of Pharmaceutics

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