No abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common articular disease that can lead to chronic pain and severe disability. Curcumin—an effective ingredient in turmeric with anti inflammatory property—plays an important role in protecting the joints against destructive factors. Gingerols and piperine, are the effective ingredients of ginger and black pepper, which may potentially enhance and sustain the effect of curcumin in this direction. To determine the effect of cosupplementation with turmeric extract, black pepper, and ginger on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis, compared with Naproxen. Sixty patients with two different levels of knee osteoarthritis (Grade 2 and 3) were studied. Individuals were randomly assigned to receive daily turmeric extract, ginger, and black pepper together or Naproxen capsule for 4 weeks. PGE2 was evaluated by ELISA method. 24‐hr recall was also assessed. All of participants completed the study. PGE2 decreased significantly in both groups (p < .001), but there was no significant differences between groups. The results of this study indicated that intake of the selected herbs twice a day for 4 weeks may improve the PGE2 levels in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis similar to Naproxen drug.

No abstract

Infertility is a major, worldwide problem that is affected, and mediated, by several factors, in particular, oxidative stress. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lycopene supplementation on spermatogram and seminal oxidative stress. In this randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial study, 44 infertile men with oligozoospermia were randomly divided into two groups: The experimental group was supplemented with 25 mg of lycopene, and the control group received placebo for 12 weeks. Anthropometric, physical activity and dietary assessment, semen analysis, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase were measured pre‐ and post‐intervention. At the end of the study, there was a significant increase in total sperm count and concentration in the lycopene group, and the latter total count remained significant after adjustment (p < .05). Intragroup analysis showed a significant increase in ejaculate volume, total sperm count, concentration total motility, nonprogressive, and nonmotility in lycopene group (p < .05). The TAC changes, in both groups, remained significant after adjustment (p < .05). Also, within‐group analysis showed a significant increase in TAC levels (p < .05). Lycopene supplement can improve sperm parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers in oligozoospermia infertile men; however, further studies with larger sample size and duration are required.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Pomegranate juice is a rich source of polyphenols that may improve blood pressure, lipid profile, and other risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). No study has examined the effects of pomegranate juice consumption on the clinical outcomes of PCOS. This study aimed to examine the effects of concentrated pomegranate juice (CPJ) consumption on risk factors of CVDs in women with PCOS. In this randomized clinical trial, 44 PCOS women with an age range of 18–40 years and body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 were recruited. They were randomly allocated to the CPJ (n = 22) and control (n = 22) groups, and followed for 8 weeks. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline and at the end of the trial. Compared with the control group, CPJ consumption significantly reduced systolic (−9.77 ± 1.46 vs. −1.18 ± 1.46 mmHg, p < .001) and diastolic (−3.87 ± 1.36 vs. 0.30 ± 1.36 mmHg, p = .05) blood pressure, serum triglyceride (TG) levels (−7.82 ± 6.32 vs. 16.63 ± 6.32 mg/dl, p = .01), TG/high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C) ratio (−0.39 ± 0.24 vs. 0.66 ± 0.24, p = .007), and increased serum concentrations of low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) (6.03 ± 2.47 vs. −1.98 ± 2.47 mg/dl, p = .04) and HDL‐C (1.93 ± 1.10 vs. −1.78 ± 1.10 mg/dl, p = .03). These findings were obtained after taking baseline measurements and potential confounders into account. No adverse event or complication was reported due to CPJ consumption throughout the study. We found that CPJ consumption has a beneficial effect on blood pressure, serum concentrations of TG and HDL‐C, and TG/HDL‐C ratio in women with PCOS. However, this juice could increase serum LDL‐C levels in these patients. This trial was registered at http://www.irct.ir as IRCT20191109045383N1.