Non-superiority of Kakkonto, a Japanese Herbal Medicine, to a Representative Multiple Cold Medicine with Respect to Anti-aggravation Effects on the Common Cold: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective Kakkonto, a Japanese herbal medicine, is frequently used to treat the common cold not only with a physician's prescription, but also in self-medication situations. This study aimed to examine whether Kakkonto prevents the aggravation of cold symptoms if taken at an early stage of illness compared with a well-selected Western-style multiple cold medicine. Methods This study was a multicenter, active drug-controlled, randomized trial. Adults 18 to 65 years of age who felt a touch of cold symptoms and visited 15 outpatient healthcare facilities within 48 hours of symptoms onset were enrolled. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one treated with Kakkonto (Kakkonto Extract-A, 6 g/day) (n=209) and one treated with a Western-style multiple cold medicine (Pabron Gold-A, 3.6 g/day) (n=198) for at most four days. The primary outcome of this study was the aggravation of cold, nasal, throat or bronchial symptoms, scored as moderate or severe and lasting for at least two days within five days after entry into the study. Results Among the 410 enrollees, 340 (168 in the Kakkonto group and 172 in the Pabron group) were included in the analyses. The proportion of participants whose colds were aggravated was 22.6% in the Kakkonto group and 25.0% in the Pabron group (p=0.66). The overall severity of the cold symptoms was not significantly different between the groups. No harmful adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusion Kakkonto did not significantly prevent the progression of cold symptoms, even when prescribed at an early stage of the disease.

Literature Review: Herbal Medicine Treatment after Large-Scale Disasters

“…In addition, Okabayashi et al (2014) reported on the effects of kakkonto on the common cold. An RCT comparing kakkonto with multiple Western-style cold medicines demonstrated no difference in the ability to alleviate common cold symptoms, including coldness, nasal, throat, or bronchial symptoms.…”

Soshiho-tang for treating common cold in children younger than 12 years

“…SST is a widely used herbal medicine in various Asian countries including China, Japan, and Korea. [ 10 , 11 ] SST consists of 7 herbal ingredients: Bupleurum falcatum Linne (12 g), Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (8 g), Panax ginseng C. A. Mey (4 g), Pinellia ternata Breitenbach (4 g), Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. or Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (2 g), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (3 g), and Zizyphus jujuba Miller var.…”

Which East Asian herbal medicines can decrease viral infections?

“…In Japan several Kampo prescriptions like Maoto, Kakkonto (Kurokawa et al 1996;Okabayashi et al 2014), Shahakusan (Hokari et al 2012), Shoseiryuto Yamada 1994, 1998;Nagai et al 1996;Yamada and Nagai 1998), Daiokanzoto (Watanabe 2018) and Hochuekkito (Dan et al 2018) (Table 1) have been investigated for their effect against influenza virus infection.…”