A formulation of Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook. f. Ex Benth and Cassia sieberiana DC. alleviates the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial of a traditional Ghanaian remedy
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Date
2019
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Springer Open
Abstract
Background: Clinical validation of herbal medicinal products is important for their widespread acceptance and
application. In this single-blind, randomised controlled trial, a traditional Ghanaian herbal medicine formulation with
Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook. f. ex Benth and Cassia sieberiana DC. as ingredients was evaluated for its safety and
effectiveness in the management of patients with osteoarthritis. The formulation for the purposes of this study was
labelled with the code GC-500.
Methods: A total of 57 participants were randomly assigned to receive either this herbal remedy, GC-500, or the
control treatment of diclofenac. Subjects were then followed up for a period of 8 weeks using a modified Graded
Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS) for their efficacy assessments. The control treatment comprised 13 subjects and the GC 500 group 44 subjects.
Results: Upon completion of the study, 28 (63.63%) subjects in the GC-500 group attained the primary outcome,
(GCPS of Grade 0) compared to 5 (38.46%) subjects in the control group. Improvement in disease indicators such as
characteristic pain intensity, disability score and disability days was comparable between the GC-500 and diclofenac.
Intensity of pain reduced after 8 weeks of treatment; disability score and disability days also declined indicating an
improvement in the quality of life of subjects. GC-500 was also shown to be safe for human use.
Conclusion: The herbal medicine formulation GC-500, provides a credible treatment option for managing the pain
associated with osteoarthritis.
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This article is published Springer Open and is also available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40816-021-00313-0
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Citation
Clinical Phytoscience (2021) 7:76