The combined application of ear acupuncture in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of auricular acupressure in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Methods: Randomised controlled trials (RCTS) on the treatment of allergic rhinitis with ear acupuncture were searched by computer in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase、Web of Science、China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database (Wanfang), VIP database, and China Biomedical Literature Service System (CBM). The search time was from the establishment of the database to September 18, 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: A total of 15 papers with 1002 patients were included in the final study. ①Clinical efficiency: The clinical efficiency of ear acupuncture combined with control group was higher than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.00001); ② Nasal symptom score: the effect of ear acupuncture combined with control group on allergic rhinitis on nasal symptoms was more obvious than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.004); ③ Nasal itching symptom score: the efficacy of ear acupuncture combined with control group on allergic rhinitis on nasal itching symptom was significantly higher than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.01). ④Sneeze symptom score: the effect of ear acupuncture combined with control group on allergic rhinitis on nasal itching symptom was more effective than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.00001); ⑤Score of runny nose symptom: the effect of ear acupuncture combined with control group on allergic rhinitis on runny nose symptom was more obvious than that of control group, the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.004); ⑥Nasal congestion symptom scores: The effect of ear acupuncture combined with control group on allergic rhinitis on nasal congestion symptom was more obvious than that of control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Ear acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy of allergic rhinitis can achieve better clinical efficacy.

Effect of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam raja) supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major health threat worldwide. Cosmos caudatus is one of the medicinal plants used to treat type 2 diabetes. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effectiveness and safety of C. caudatus in patients with type 2 diabetes. Metabolomic approach will be carried out to compare the metabolite profiles between C. Caudatus treated diabetic patients and diabetic controls. METHODS AND DESIGN: This is a single-center, randomized, controlled, two-arm parallel design clinical trial that will be carried out in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia. In this study, 100 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes will be enrolled. Diabetic patients who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly allocated to two groups, which are diabetic C. caudatus treated(U) group and diabetic control (C) group. Primary and secondary outcomes will be measured at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The serum and urine metabolome of both groups will be examined using proton NMR spectroscopy. DISCUSSION: The study will be the first randomized controlled trial to assess whether C. caudatus can confer beneficial effect in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results of this trial will provide clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of C. caudatus in patients with type 2 diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02322268.

Eight Weeks of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) Supplementation Improves Glycemic Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives. Optimizing glycemic control is crucial to prevent type 2 diabetes related complications. Cosmos caudatus is reported to have promising effect in improving plasma blood glucose in an animal model. However, its impact on human remains ambiguous. This study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of C. caudatus on glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods. In this randomized controlled trial with two-arm parallel-group design, a total of 101 subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomly allocated to diabetic-ulam or diabetic controls for eight weeks. Subjects in diabetic-ulam group consumed 15 g of C. caudatus daily for eight weeks while diabetic controls abstained from taking C. caudatus. Both groups received the standard lifestyle advice. Results. After 8 weeks of supplementation, C. caudatus significantly reduced serum insulin (-1.16 versus +3.91), reduced HOMA-IR (-1.09 versus +1.34), and increased QUICKI (+0.05 versus -0.03) in diabetic-ulam group compared with the diabetic controls. HbA1C level was improved although it is not statistically significant (-0.76% versus -0.37%). C. caudatus was safe to consume. Conclusions. C. caudatus supplementation significantly improves insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Potential medicinal benefits of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja): A scoping review.

Cosmos caudatus is widely used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. C. caudatus has been reported as a rich source of bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid. Studies have shown that C. caudatus exhibits high anti-oxidant capacity and various medicinal properties, including anti-diabetic activity, anti-hypertensive properties, anti-inflammatory responses, bone-protective effect, and anti-microbial activity. This review aims to present the potential medicinal benefits of C. caudatus from the available scientific literature. We searched PubMed and ScienceDirect database for articles published from 1995 to January 2015. Overall, 15 articles related to C. caudatus and its medicinal benefits are reviewed. All these studies demonstrated that C. caudatus is effective, having demonstrated its anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, bone-protective, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal activity in both in vitro and animal studies. None of the studies showed any negative effect of C. caudatus related to medicinal use. Currently available evidence suggests that C. caudatus has beneficial effects such as reducing blood glucose, reducing blood pressure, promoting healthy bone formation, and demonstrating anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. However, human clinical trial is warranted.