The effect of propolis plus Hyoscyamus niger L. methanolic extract on clinical symptoms in patients with acute respiratory syndrome suspected to COVID‐19: A clinical trial

Abstract: Received: 7 October 2020 Revised: 27 February 2021 Accepted: 23 March 2021 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7116 RESEARCH ARTICLE The effect of propolis plus Hyoscyamus niger L. methanolic extract on clinical symptoms in patients with acute respiratory syndrome suspected to COVID-19: A clinical trial Morteza Kosari1,2 6 Ahmad Najafi | | Mehdi Noureddini3 7,8 Amir Ghaderi 1 Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 2 Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 3 Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 4 | | Seyed Peyman Khamechi4,5 Mojtaba Sehat 9 | | Hamid Reza Banafshe3,8,10 The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global health crisis. Nevertheless, no antiviral treatment has yet been proven effective for treating COVID-19 and symptomatic supportive cares have been the most common treatment. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of propolis Department of Persian Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran and Hyoscyamus niger L. extract in patients with COVID-19. This randomized clinical 5 versity of medical sciences, Iran. Subjects were divided into two groups (intervention Evidence Based Integrative Medicine Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 6 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical sciences, Kashan, Iran 7 Clinical Research Development Unit-Matini/ Kargarnejad Hospital, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 8 Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medical, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 9 Trauma Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran 10 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran trial was conducted on 50 cases referred to Akhavan and Sepehri Clinics, Kashan uniand placebo). This syrup (containing 1.6 mg of methanolic extract along with 450 mg of propolis per 10 mL) was administered three times a day to each patient for 6 days. The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 such as: dry cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, chest pain, fever, dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea were reduced with propolis plus Hyoscyamus niger L. extract than the placebo group. However, the administration of syrup was not effective in the control of nausea and vomiting. In conclusion, syrup containing propolis and Hyoscyamus niger L. extract had beneficial effects in ameliorating the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 disease, in comparison with placebo groups. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Hyoscyamus niger L., propolis Correspondence Hamid Reza Banafshe, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. Email: banafshe57@hotmail.com Funding information Kashan University of Medical Sciences 1 | I N T RO DU CT I O N related to the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (Fauci, Lane, & Redfield, 2020). People with COVID-19 have The latest threat to global health is the ongoing outbreak of the respi- had different symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. ratory disease that was recently given the name COVID-19 (Acter Patient with fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, loss of taste or et al., 2020). COVID-19 was recognized in..