Effect of ginger powder supplementation on nitric oxide and C-reactive protein in elderly knee osteoarthritis patients: A 12-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

There is limited evidence that ginger ( sheng jiang) powder consumption can relieve pain and inflammation because of its special phytochemical properties. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of ginger powder supplementation on some inflammatory markers in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis. This is a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial with a follow-up period of 3 months that was conducted on 120 outpatients with moderately painful knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomly divided up into two groups: ginger group (GG) or placebo group (PG). Both groups received two identical capsules on a daily basis for 3 months. Each ginger capsule contained 500 mg of ginger powder; the placebo capsules had 500 mg of starch in them. Serum samples were collected prior to and after the intervention and were stored at -70 °C until the end of the study. Serum concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and hs-C reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of inflammatory markers (i.e., NO and hs-CRP) prior to the intervention. However, after 3 months of supplementation, serum concentration of NO and hs-CRP decreased in the GG. After 12 weeks, the concentration of these markers declined more in the GG than in the PG. Ginger powder supplementation at a dose of 1 g/d can reduce inflammatory markers in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and it thus can be recommended as a suitable supplement for these patients.

Capparis spinosa L. (Caper) fruit extract in treatment of type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Capparis spinosa L. (Caper) fruit is traditionally used as an anti-hyperglycemic food by Iranian diabetic patients. But yet, no controlled human study has determined its efficacy in treatment of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients. DESIGN: The present study was undertaken to explore the possible anti-hyperglycemic effects of the caper fruit extract in type 2 diabetic patients. A randomized clinical trial was conducted in 54 type 2 diabetic patients. Two groups 28 and 26 patients on standard anti-diabetic therapy, received 400mg caper fruit extract and placebo capsules three times a day respectively for two months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patients fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, lipids levels, liver and renal function tests were determined at baseline and endpoint. RESULTS: Results showed significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels (p=0.037) and glycosylated hemoglobin (p=0.043) in caper treated patients compared to control group at the end of the study. Triglyceride level also decreased significantly (p=0.29) in caper treated group at the end of the study compared to baseline. No liver, kidney and other side effects were observed in these two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Caper fruit extract may be a safe anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hypertriglyceridemic agent for type 2 diabetic patients.

Effect of Zingiber officinale R. rhizomes (ginger) on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: a placebo randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Zingiber officinale R. rhizome (ginger) is a popular spice that has traditionally been used to combat the effects of various inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ginger on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea. METHOD: This was a randomized, controlled trial. The study was based on a sample of one hundred and twenty students with moderate or severe primary dysmenorrhea. The students were all residents of the dormitories of Shahed University. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups, one for ginger and the other for placebo in two different treatment protocols with monthly intervals. The ginger and placebo groups in both protocols received 500 mg capsules of ginger root powder or placebo three times a day. In the first protocol ginger and placebo were given two days before the onset of the menstrual period and continued through the first three days of the menstrual period. In the second protocol ginger and placebo were given only for the first three days of the menstrual period. Severity of pain was determined by a verbal multidimensional scoring system and a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: There was no difference in the baseline characteristics of the two groups (placebo n = 46, ginger n = 56). The results of this study showed that there were significant differences in the severity of pain between ginger and placebo groups for protocol one (P = 0.015) and protocol two (P = 0.029). There was also significant difference in duration of pain between the two groups for protocol one (P = 0.017) but not for protocol two (P = 0.210). CONCLUSION: Treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in students with ginger for 5 days had a statistically significant effect on relieving intensity and duration of pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT201105266206N3.

Evaluation of wound healing activities of kefir products.

Kefirs are natural probiotic compounds with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which were tested in experimental burn injury. Kefir gels were prepared from an extract of continuously cultured kefir grains in MRS Broth medium for 24, 48 and 96h. Similar burn injuries were made on dorsal skin surface of 56 rats. After 24h the wounds were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The infected rats were divided in to 7 groups of 8 rats each. The base gel, silver sulfadiazine ointment, kefir 24h gel, kefir 48h gel, kefir 96h gel and kefir grains 96h gel were applied twice a day. Burn wound area was measured at baseline, one and two weeks. After two weeks the animals in all groups were sacrificed and whole skin wound areas were removed and percentage of epithelization, scar formation, inflammation and angiogenesis were evaluated. Results indicated that at the end of the 2nd week the percentage of wound size were lowest in order of kefir 96h gel