Objectives: Seabuck thorn oil is reported to have beneficial effects on skin and the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Our aim was to study the effect of orally ingested seabuck thorn oil (SBTO) on the condition of the oral mucosa and oral discomfort in Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) patients. Methods: Eleven SS patients (women, mean age 45,6 years) were invited to the study. At baseline, 6 showed severely reduced salivary flow and 9 complained of subjective symptoms of oral discomfort. The study was a double-blind, crossover study. The study periods lasted one month with a one-month washout period in between. The subjects consumed either seabuck thorn oil (pulp+seed oil) or a mixture of palm oil and soyabean oil in the form of capsules (5 g oil/day) during the study periods. The patients were interviewed for subjective symptoms of oral discomfort and electrical impedance (EI) was measured at the beginning and at the end of each study period. Paraffin stimulated saliva was collected at all examinations. Results: Ten patients completed the study, however, one did not use the capsules according to instructions. No significant effects on the subjective symptoms or EI readings were detected in statistical analyses. However, 2 out of 4 patients who had both severely reduced salivary flow and subjective discomfort, reported relief in subjective sensations of dry mouth in association with the consumption of the seabuck thorn oil. The reported improvements in the subjective symptoms were not reflected in EI readings. Conclusion: Seabuck thorn oil may relieve symptoms of dry mouth in Sjögren's Syndrome patients with severely reduced salivary flow.

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