1. Efficacy of the Malva sylvestris L. flowers aqueous extract for functional constipation: A placebo-controlled trial.
- Author
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Elsagh M, Fartookzadeh MR, Kamalinejad M, Anushiravani M, Feizi A, Behbahani FA, Rafiei R, Arjmandpour A, and Adibi P
- Subjects
- Adult, Defecation drug effects, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Placebos, Constipation drug therapy, Flowers chemistry, Malva chemistry, Plant Extracts therapeutic use
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Malva sylvestris L. flowers extract for treatment of FC., Method: Adults with FC were allocated to receive the M. sylvestris L. flowers aqueous extract syrup (MSL, 1 g extract/day) or placebo for four weeks. Frequency of constipation symptoms and stool forms were assessed every week. Self-reported improvement was assessed after treatment., Results: Compared with placebo, more increase was observed in defecation frequency (F = 18.8, P < 0.001) and more decrease was observed in frequency of all constipation symptoms by MSL (F = 16.5 to 25.3, all P values <0.001). Also, the MSL group experienced more reduction in frequency of hard stool forms (45.4% vs. 9.1%, P < 0.001) and reported more improvement in all symptoms (all P values <0.01) than placebo., Conclusion: The M. sylvestris L. flowers aqueous extract is efficacious and safe for the treatment of FC in adult patients. Investigating the mechanisms of action is warranted. IRCT2014031617032N1., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2015
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