Protective and Healing Effects of Zinc L-Carnosine on the Oral Mucosa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Meta-analysisHumansWith zinc (as polaprezinc / zinc-L-carnosine)
This study tested carnosine together with zinc (as polaprezinc / zinc-L-carnosine). Its results cannot be assigned to carnosine alone. More combination studies.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Subjects
- 8 studies, 544 participants
- Dose used in the study
- Varied: mouthwashes, lozenges and mucoadhesive suspensions
- Duration
- Varied across included studies
- What was measured
- Incidence of severe oral mucositis (grade 3 or higher), grade 2 or higher mucositis, oral mucosal healing. Risk of bias (RoB 2, ROBINS-I). GRADE certainty. Searches 2015 to 2026.
What the authors reported
Severe oral mucositis was less frequent with zinc L-carnosine under a common-effect model (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.72) but not under a random-effects model (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.06). Results for grade 2 or higher were similar. Certainty of evidence was low for mucositis and very low for healing. No serious adverse events were reported.
Limits of this study
Six of eight studies non-randomised with moderate or serious risk of bias; the randomised trials had some concerns. Heterogeneous formulations and settings. Only one study suggested improved surgical wound healing. Full text not read.
Source
PubMed 42505716 · doi:10.3390/dj14070408
Entry checked against PubMed abstract (E-utilities) on 2026-10-19. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.