The Effect of Oral Care With Black Mulberry Extract on Oral Mucositis, Dry Mouth, and Weight Gain in Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND:  For patients receiving chemotherapy, various oral care therapies are used to treat oral mucositis, but the use of black mulberry extract as an effective treatment has not been widely studied.
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OBJECTIVES:  This study examined whether black mulberry extract is an effective treatment for oral mucositis, dry mouth, and weight gain compared to sodium bicarbonate in patients with cancer.
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METHODS:  The control group (N = 20) received sodium bicarbonate, and the intervention group (N = 20) received black mulberry extract. Mucositis and weight gain were evaluated on days 1, 7, and 15 after oral care application.
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FINDINGS:  For both groups, mean scores indicated a statistically significant decrease in mucositis and dry mouth at all three time points. Mean scores were significantly lower in the intervention group on days 7 and 15. At all three time points, increases in weight were statistically significant for the intervention group but not for the control group. Increased weight gain in the intervention group was statistically significant when comparing the two groups on days 7 and 15.