Clinical effects of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.): A systematic review on clinical trials.

PURPOSE: The aim of present study was to review and categorize the clinical trials investigating the clinical effects of different botanical parts of dates compared with any controls. METHODS: All clinical trials (randomized, pilot, quasi-experimental, cross-over. and non-randomized clinical trials) evaluating the clinical effects of date palm from 2000 until August 2019 in English and Persian languages were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the risk of bias assessment of Cochrane handbook of systematic reviews, and then reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were performed in 8 categories based on different botanical parts of date palm. These categories were obstetrics, gynecology, oncology, dermatology, hematology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, metabolism, and infertility. A total of 38 % of included studies were randomized controlled trials. Further, 80 % of the included studies had performance and detection bias. Finally, about 50 % of them had selection bias and about 20 % had attrition and reporting bias. CONCLUSION: The widespread consumption of date palm as medicinal and botanical plant suggests the importance of this plant in human healthcare. The clinical trials conducted so far have explained a number of clinical effects of date palm. However, there is not enough clinical evidence to support the clinical effects in other review articles and traditional medical systems, and further randomized controlled trials with robust designs and methods are required.

Corrigendum to "Effects of Withania somnifera on Reproductive System: A Systematic Review of the Available Evidence".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/4076430.].

Herbal Medicine for Oligomenorrhea and Amenorrhea: A Systematic Review of Ancient and Conventional Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Menstrual bleeding cessation is one of the most frequent gynecologic disorders among women in reproductive age. The treatment is based on hormone therapy. Due to the increasing request for alternative medicine remedies in the field of women's diseases, in present study, it was tried to overview medicinal plants used to treat oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea according to the pharmaceutical textbooks of traditional Persian medicine (TPM) and review the evidence in the conventional medicine. METHODS: This systematic review was designed and performed in 2017 in order to gather information regarding herbal medications of oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea in TPM and conventional medicine. This study had several steps as searching Iranian traditional medicine literature and extracting the emmenagogue plants, classifying the plants, searching the electronic databases, and finding evidences. To search traditional Persian medicine references, Noor digital library was used, which includes several ancient traditional medical references. The classification of plants was done based on the repetition and potency of the plants in the ancient literatures. The required data was gathered using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and web of knowledge. RESULTS: In present study of all 198 emmenagogue medicinal plants found in TPM, 87 cases were specified to be more effective in treating oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea. In second part of present study, where a search of conventional medicine was performed, 12 studies were found, which had 8 plants investigated: Vitex agnus-castus, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Foeniculum vulgare, Cinnamomum verum, Paeonia lactiflora, Sesamum indicum, Mentha longifolia, and Urtica dioica. Conclusion. Traditional Persian medicine has proposed many different medicinal plants for treatment of oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea. Although just few plants have been proven to be effective for treatment of menstrual irregularities, the results and the classification in present study can be used as an outline for future studies and treatment.

Effects of Withania somnifera on Reproductive System: A Systematic Review of the Available Evidence.

INTRODUCTION: Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ashwagandha is a well-known medicinal plant used in traditional medicine in many countries for infertility treatment. The present study was aimed at systemically reviewing therapeutic effects of WS on the reproductive system. METHODS: This systematic review study was designed in 2016. Required data were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Web of Science, and manual search of articles, grey literature, reference checking, and expert contact. RESULTS: WS was found to improve reproductive system function by many ways. WS extract decreased infertility among male subjects, due to the enhancement in semen quality which is proposed due to the enhanced enzymatic activity in seminal plasma and decreasing oxidative stress. Also, WS extract improved luteinizing hormone and follicular stimulating hormone balance leading to folliculogenesis and increased gonadal weight, although some animal studies had concluded that WS had reversible spermicidal and infertilizing effects in male subjects. CONCLUSION: WS was found to enhance spermatogenesis and sperm related indices in male and sexual behaviors in female. But, according to some available evidences for spermicidal features, further studies should focus on the extract preparation method and also dosage used in their study protocols.

Immunomodulatory and therapeutic effects of Hot-nature diet and co-supplemented hemp seed, evening primrose oils intervention in multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most chronic and inflammatory disorder. Because of limited efficacy and adverse side effects, identifying novel therapeutic and protective agents is important. This study was aimed to assess the potential therapeutic effects of hemp seed and evening primrose oils as well as Hot-nature dietary intervention on RRMS patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this double blind, randomized trial, 100 MS patients with EDSS<6 were allocated into 3 groups: "Group A" who received co-supplemented hemp seed and evening primrose oils with advised Hot-nature diet, "Group B" who received olive oil, "Group C" who received the co-supplemented oils. Mizadj, clinically EDSS and relapse rate as well as immunological factors (IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17) were assessed at baseline and after 6 months. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 180±2.9 SD days (N=65, 23 M and 42 F aged 34.25±8.07 years with disease duration 6.80±4.33 years). There was no significant difference in studies parameters at baseline. After 6 months, significant improvements in Mizadj, EDSS and relapse rate were found in the groups A and C, while the group B showed a border significant decrease in relapse rate. Immunological parameters showed improvement in groups A and C, whereas there was worsening condition for group B after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The co-supplemented hemp seed and evening primrose oils with Hot-nature diet have beneficial effects in improving of clinical score in RRMS patients which were confirmed by immunological findings.