Abstract: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant tumor of oral epithelial origin with a high incidence, and its pathogenesis has not been completely defined. OSCC is prone to early cervical lymph node metastasis, with poor prognosis and special anatomical location, which is an important factor leading to recurrence. Curcumin is an active ingredient extracted from rhizome of zingiberaceae. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anti-cancer and other pharmacological effects, with rare adverse reactions, so it has an application prospect in medicine. A number of studies have proved that curcumin can induce the apoptosis of malignant tumor cells, inhibit proliferation and invasion of tumor cells, regulate cell cycle of tumor cells, alleviate tumor drug resistance and improve sensitivity of anticancer drugs by regulating specific effector factors in a variety of signaling pathways. In recent years, curcumin has been increasingly applied in various branches of stomatology, such as periodontitis, temporomandibular arthritis, mucosal precancerous lesions and so on. This article reviews the mechanism and research progress of curcumin alone and in combination with other natural drugs in prevention and treatment of OSCC in recent years, in order to provide reference for further research.

Key words: curcumin, oral squamous cell carcinoma, cell multiplication, apoptosis, cell cycle, tumor metastasis