Comparing the Effect of a Herbal-based Laxative (Goleghand®) and Polyethylene Glycol on Functional Constipation among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and document the reported adverse effect of a herbal-based laxative (Goleghand®) for the maintenance treatment of functional constipation in young children. METHODS: We conducted a randomized clinical trial from April 2019 to September 2020. Children aged 2-15 years with functional constipation defined according to the Rome IV criteria were eligible for study inclusion. Eligible children were randomly allocated to receive polyethylene glycol (PEG) or Goleghand®. The number and consistency of stools per day, painful defecation, abdominal pain, and fecal incontinence were reported weekly by parents. The statistical analyses were performed by determining means and standard deviations, t-test, Chi-square test, ANOVA repeated measures, and Fisher's exact test, with significance, accepted at the 5% level. FINDINGS: Sixty patients have been enrolled in the study. Parental satisfaction scores did not change significantly in either group or over the follow-up period. Our results showed that the effect of time (P < 0.001) and also the effect of group type (P = 0.01) on the number of fecal defecations was significant. The mean number of defecations increased first and then decreased significantly over time, but this decrease was more significant in the PEG group than in the Goleghand® group (P = 0.001). Furthermore, the effect of time on the fecal consistency score was significant (P = 0.047). The mean score of fecal consistency in both groups decreased over time. CONCLUSION: Goleghand® was similar in efficacy to PEG for 8 weeks of pediatric functional constipation treatment in this randomized clinical trial. Goleghand® can be considered as a new herbal laxative drug for pediatric functional constipation.

Improvement of thermal stability and antioxidant activity of anthocyanins of Echium amoenum petal using maltodextrin/modified starch combination as wall material.

To protect anthocyanins of Iranian borage extract (IBE) by encapsulation, maltodextrin (MD)/modified maize starch (MMS) combinations were used at four ratios (MD/MMS: 1/0, 1/0.25, 1/0.5, 1/1, w/w%). The microencapsulated powders with different ratios of wall material presented encapsulation efficacy between 93.1 and 97.4%. FTIR confirmed the cross-linking interaction between extract and MD/MMS wall. Increased thermal stability of extract was also indicated by DSC analysis. The stability of microstructures and crude extract at two conditions (5 and 40 °C) was evaluated by UV and HPLC methods during 60 days. The results of stability showed that encapsulation by treatment 4 (MD/MMS 1:1) improved the stability of anthocyanins 43.8% compared to crude extract. Additionally, microcapsule created in this treatment provided great antioxidant stability. The release in the simulated gastrointestinal tract revealed that the anthocyanins were chiefly retained inside the microparticles in the stomach, and were released in the intestine. The results demonstrated that the microencapsulation with MD and MMS by the spray-drying method can improve the stability, antioxidant and functional characteristics of borage extract, which could be useful in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Effects of Zataria Multi-Flora, Shirazi thyme, on the Severity of Premenstrual Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a common problem in women. Zataria multiflora Boiss is a valuable plant. This herbal plant has been used in different conditions. OBJECTIVES: The study was performed to investigate the effects of Zataria multiflora Boiss to control PMS symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a double-blinded, prospective randomized trial. The study population was the college students living in the dormitories of Isfahan University. Eighty-eight eligible students were randomly divided to intervention and control groups. Students completed the prospective record of the impact and severity of menstrual symptoms (PRISM) calendar including 30 PMS symptoms for four menstrual cycles (two cycles before, and two after the intervention). The intervention group received pearls containing 20 mg of Zataria multi-flora essence (four pearls each day) for two menstrual cycles, seven days before menstruation. The mean difference of PMS severity score between groups was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test. The difference in frequency score of symptoms was analyzed using repeated-measure analysis of variance. RESULTS: Thirty-eight students in intervention and 37 students in placebo group completed the study. The groups had no significant difference regarding the severity of PMS. Both groups showed a significant improvement in PMS severity score after the intervention. The repeated-measure analysis of variance showed that the frequency of symptoms decreased significantly in the cycles, but it was not different in intervention and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings did not support the use of Zataria multiflora Boiss in premenstrual syndrome.