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Introduction: Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of an entity helps in devising the mode of progression as well as mode of therapy. Even with years of research to claim the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is limited. More deeper knowledge of the genes responsible for this will help in understanding and managing this disease better. Materials and Methods: The articles published during a time period of 1990–2020 were chosen in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results: From a total of 80 articles obtained from both electronic search of PUBMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane registry as well as the manual search only 21 articles were selected and analyzed. Conclusion: Careful analysis of the samples revealed that transforming growth factor-beta may be a potential biomarker or a candidate for targeted therapy in OSMF.

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Epithelial mesenchymal interactions are one of the most important process taking place in the body. It is an indispensable mechanism that mediates the development of numerous organs and organ systems especially tooth, salivary gland etc. It has been long implicated in the causation of numerous pathogenic processes especially cancer. The mechanism of epithelial mesenchymal interactions are a forerunner for epithelial mesenchymal transition, which is an important pathological process in the development of cancer. In this review, we have highlighted the role of epithelial mesenchymal interactions in normal embryogenesis as well in numerous pathological conditions.

Background: Xerostomia is a common condition which affects majority of the people due to its multifarious etiologies. Although several treatment modalities are under practice, natural herbs show a great deal of beneficial effects recently. Saliva contains a considerable amount of proteins, among which the enzyme salivary α-amylase forms the major bulk. Acacia catechu is habitually known as Katha or Karangali, and the preparations are made from the heartwood or the leaves of this plant and have been used for decades and also as a thirst quencher. The relationship between the use of this decoction and saliva secretion has been a debate among researchers. Although there are no comprehensive validations behind the theory between amylase activity and A. catechu, virtual screening techniques such as docking could help to throw light on this theory. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the binding efficacy of active ingredient of A. catechu on salivary α-amylase using molecular docking approach. Materials and Methods: The active ingredients of A. catechu were identified using an extensive literature search. The chemical structure of the identified ligand (epicatechin gallate) and the target protein (salivary alpha-amylase) was obtained using PubChem and molecular docking was analyzed using SYBYL2.0®. Results: Epicatechin gallate showed the highest binding affinity for human salivary amylase when compared to the other ligand molecules. Conclusion: The current study thus elucidates that A. catechu can possibly be effective as a stimulatory agent for patients suffering from xerostomia.