Search

Background & Objectives: Diabetes is a known chronic disease affecting more than 400 million people and causing millions of deaths worldwide annually. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, diabetes will become the seventh leading cause of death. In the last decades, numerous chemotherapy approaches have been used. However, herbal remedies have accounted for more than 70 percent of the total administered antidiabetic treatments during the last decade. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel natural antidiabetic therapy with Trigonella foenum-graecum (T. foenum-graecum) L. and Citrullus colocynthis (C. colocynthis) (L.). Based on past studies, using C. colocynthis singly can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and heartburn, hence in order to reduce these complications, we applied this plant in combination with T. foenum-graecum based on the recommendations of Persian medicine references. Materials & Methods: We admitted 34 diabetics aged 30 -65 years old to design a double-blind parallel randomized controlled clinical trial. We prepared therapeutic capsules containing a combination of 40 mg of C. colocynthis and 350 mg of T. foenum-graecum L. We divided participants into an interventional (n=17) and placebo (n=17) groups and measured fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels, lipid profile, and liver function tests initially. After two weeks, all participants returned for a visit, and FBS and blood sugar (BS) were measured. At the end (12th week), all outcomes were measured and analyzed using an independent t-test and Chi -squared (χ²). Results: The FBS levels decreased significantly in the intervention group compared to that of the control group (171.8±54.9 versus 149.6±46.4, p=0.024), but the improvement s in the lipid profile and liver function were not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study unveiled that combination of T. foenum-graecum L. and C. colocynthis L. at safe levels significantly decreased the FBS levels among T2DM patients. Further studies are needed to provide more efficient antidiabetic effects with the low side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of myrtus communis L. solution in the treatment of dandruff and to compare it with ketoconazole., Methods: This double-blind randomised clinical trial was conducted at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from December 2015 to August 2016, and comprised patients with dandruff aged 18-60 years visiting the dermatology out-patient clinic. The subjects were randomised into two equal groups. The treatment group received myrtus communis L. solution and a placebo shampoo, while the control group received ketoconazole shampoo and a placebo solution. The total duration of the study for each subject was one month and subjects in both groups used their respective interventions 8 times during that period. The parameters studied were pruritus, erythema, severity of scaling, and the extent of scalp involvement. All subjects underwent scalp scaling tests at the beginning, after 10 days and at the end of the 30th day. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis., Results: Of the 90 individuals, there were 45(50%) in each of the two groups. However, 74(82%) subjects completed the third visit and, of them, there were 37(50%) in each group. Both groups showed significant improvement in all outcome measures (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of efficacy, satisfaction rate and side effects (p>0.05 for each outcome)., Conclusions: Myrtus solution was found to be effective in the treatment of dandruff.