Study on Ayurvedic medicine for ulcerative colitis

The aim of this clinical trial published in 2016 was to compare the efficacy of a herbal formulation of Holarrhena antidysenterica with mesalamine in the treatment of chronic ulcerative colitis (UC), focusing on side effects and relapse rate. The patients were from an Ayurvedic hospital and a private hospital in Gujarat, and the study was a randomized, parallel group, single-blind study.

Three groups of patients per session of 10 participants were treated with mesalamine, a mono herbal tablet or a combination of both. The baseline situation, quality of life factors, chronicity of the disease, signs and symptoms, body weight and laboratory tests were recorded. Side effects and complications were documented during and after the study.

The results showed a positive response to all treatments, with significant improvements in fecal occult blood and hemoglobin levels. Patients treated with herbal tablets alone showed the greatest reduction in abdominal pain, diarrhea, stool frequency and stool consistency scores compared to patients treated with mesalamine. In addition, treatment with herbal tablets alone or in combination with mesalamine resulted in a significant reduction in fecal infection rates.

Patients treated with herbal formulations did not report side effects, relapses or complications, while 50% of patients treated with mesalamine relapsed after discontinuation of the drug. Thus, herbal monopreparations alone and in combination with mesalamine proved to be more effective than mesalamine alone in the treatment of UC.