Comparison of the Effects of Olive Oil and Coconut Oil in Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Mucositis in a Population of Children with Leukemia in Zahedan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Oral mucositis is a serious side effect in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which can result in severe pain and disability. Given the complications associated with mucositis, its prevention is particularly important. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of herbal oils and chlorhexidine in preventing chemotherapy-induced mucositis in children with leukemia. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 100 children aged 1 to 14 years who had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Participants were randomly divided into four groups: (1) Olive oil, (2) coconut oil, (3) chlorhexidine mouthwash (0.2%), and (4) normal saline (n = 25). Each group received treatment every two hours for 14 days using a sterile sponge soaked in the assigned substance. Follow-ups were conducted on days 1, 14, and 30 post-intervention, and the severity of lesions was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Scale from 0 to 4. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-squared, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests (α = 0.05). Results: A total of 48 girls and 52 boys participated in the study, with a mean age of 5.66 ± 3.21 years. On the first day, no participants exhibited mucositis. However, by day 14, the severity of mucositis differed significantly among the study groups (P < 0.001). The highest and lowest severity scores were recorded in the normal saline group (1.16 ± 0.98) and the chlorhexidine group (0.20 ± 0.40), respectively. The severity of mucositis in the normal saline group was significantly greater than that in the chlorhexidine (P < 0.001) and olive oil groups (P = 0.004). Chlorhexidine showed the lowest severity of mucositis; olive oil was statistically comparable to chlorhexidine (P > 0.05), while coconut oil was less effective than both. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that while chlorhexidine is the superior agent for reducing the severity of mucositis, herbal oils — particularly olive oil — provide a comparable alternative with fewer side effects, effectively reducing mucositis severity and improving oral health in children with ALL.