A pilot randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of an extract of Artemisia annua administered over 12 weeks, for managing pain, stiffness, and functional limitation associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.
Stebbings S, Beattie E, McNamara D, Hunt S. Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Dec 3. [Epub ahead of print]. Dept of Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, Univ of Otago, Dunedin, NZ. simon.stebbings@otago.ac.nz The objective was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a dietary supplement, Arthrem, containing an extract from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua, on pain, stiffness, and functional limitation in osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee. 42 patients were randomized to one of 3 groups (n = 14/group): 150mg Artemisia annua extract (ART) BID (ART low dose), 300mg ART BID (ART high dose), or placebo BID administered over 12 weeks. Efficacy was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC®) and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. Participants treated with ART low dose showed significant improvement in WOMAC total scores from baseline to 12 weeks (mean change, -12.2; SD 13.84; p = .016); improvement was not shown in the placebo group (mean change, -7.8; SD, 19.80; p = .103). Statistically significant reductions were seen from baseline in the ART low-dose group for individual WOMAC components stiffness and physical function. VAS pain scores were statistically significantly reduced from baseline to 12 weeks in the ART low-dose group (mean change, -21.4 mm; SD, 23.48 mm; p =.008) but not the placebo group (mean change, -11.5 mm; SD, 28.97 mm, p =.176). No statistically significant changes occurred from baseline in the placebo or ART high-dose groups for any parameter.
CONCLUSION: ART low dose (150mg BID for 12 weeks) was well tolerated and has potential anti-inflammatory / analgesic effects in OA. Further studies are warranted. PMID: 26631103 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
Effects of Fresh Yellow Onion Consumption on CEA, CA125 and Hepatic Enzymes in Breast Cancer Patients: A Double- Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Jafarpour-Sadegh F, Montazeri V, Adili A, Esfehani A, Rashidi MR, Mesgari M, Pirouzpanah S. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(17):7517-22. Drug Applied Research Center & Dept of Biochemistry and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz Univ of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran pirouzpanah@gmail.com So far, folk medicine has not noted Onion (Allium cepa) consumption as an adjunct to conventional doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study aimed to investigate the effects of consuming fresh yellow onions on hepatic enzymes and cancer specific antigens compared with a low-onion containing diet among breast cancer (BC) participants treated with doxorubicin. This parallel design randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 56 BC patients whose malignancy was confirmed with histopathological examination. Subjects were assigned in a stratified-random allocation into either group received body mass index dependent 100-160g/d of onion as high onion group (HO; n=28) or 30-40g/d small onion in low onion group (LO; n=28) for 8 weeks intervention. Participants, care givers and laboratory assessor were blinded to the assignments. The compliance of participants in the analysis was appropriate (87.9%). Comparing changes throughout pre- and post-dose treatments indicated significant controls on carcinoembryonic antigen, cancer antigen-125 and alkaline phosphatase levels in the HO group (p<.05).
CONCLUSION: The data showed for the first time that regular onion administration was effective for hepatic enzyme conveying adjuvant chemotherapy relevant toxicity and reduced the tumor markers in BC during doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. PMID: 26625755 [PubMed – in process]
