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Objective The aim of this double-blind and placebo-controlled trial was to investigate whether saffron (stigma of Crocus sativus L.) could relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Design Double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial.Setting Departments of Gynaecology/Obstetrics and Psychiatry, Tehran and Zanjan University of Medical Sciences.Population Women aged 20-45 years with regular menstrual cycles and experience of PMS symptoms for at least 6 months were eligible for the study.Method Women were randomly assigned to receive capsule saffron 30 mg/day (15 mg twice a day; morning and evening) (group A) or capsule placebo (twice a day) for a two menstrual cycles (cycles 3 and 4).Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was the Daily Symptom Report, and secondary outcome measure was the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.Results In this trial, saffron was found to be effective in relieving symptoms of PMS. A significant difference was observed in efficacy of saffron in cycles 3 and 4 in the Total Premenstrual Daily Symptoms and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. ConclusionThe results of this study indicate the efficacy of C. sativus L. in the treatment of PMS. However, a tolerable adverse effects profile of saffron may well confirm the application of saffron as an alternative treatment for PMS. These results deserved further investigations.

Background: Intrauterine injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at embryo transfer (ET) has been shown to improve the outcome of assisted reproductive techniques. The aim of this study was to confirm previous findings. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 483 infertile women who were candidates for in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) for the first time were randomly assigned to receive an intrauterine injection of 500 IU hCG or placebo (tissue culture media) before ET. The main outcome measures were implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. Results: Both the hCG-treated group (n = 240) and control group (n = 243) were similar at baseline in terms of demographic and obstetrical characteristics.There were significant differences between the two groups regarding the implantation rate (23.6 vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001), pregnancy rate (54.6 vs. 35.8%, p < 0.001), clinical pregnancy rate (50 vs. 32.1%, p < 0.001), ongoing pregnancy rate (15.3 vs. 9.2%, p < 0.001) and live delivery rate (14.3 vs. 8.4%, p < 0.001). The rate of fertilization and abortion rates were not statistically different. Conclusion: Intrauterine injection of hCG before ET improves implantation and pregnancy rates and may be considered an adjuvant in IVF/ICSI.