The effect of Phytopaj )Ferula assa-foetida L. oleo gum resin and tragacanth( in patients with COVID-19: A randomized clinical trial

Bahrami-Taghanaki, Hamid Reza; Hoseinzadeh, Hamidreza; Hamedi, Shokouhsadat; Jafari Nejad-Bajestani, Majid; Esmaeilzadeh, Nayereh; Abdollahzadeh, Hasan; Hoseini-asil, Seyedehmasoume; Haghighi, Gholamreza; Bojdi, Amin

doi:10.22038/ajp.2023.22800

The effect of Phytopaj )Ferula assa-foetida L. oleo gum resin and tragacanth( in patients with COVID-19: A randomized clinical trial

Document Type : Short communication

Authors

¹ Department of Complementary and Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Persian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

² Department of Persian Medicine, School of Persian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

³ Department of Clinical Persian Pharmacy, School of Persian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁴ Department of Epidemiology, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁵ Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

⁶ Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran

10.22038/ajp.2023.22800

Abstract

Objective: Exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has a positive effect on respiratory diseases. Oleo-gum of Ferula assa-foetida contains this compound. This study assessed the effects of Ferula assa-foetida L. oleo gum resin and tragacanth (Phytopaj) on patients with COVID-19.
Materials and Methods: A randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial (RCT) phase 2 was conducted in Mashhad on hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In this RCT, 122 patients were randomly assigned to either receive a 14-day oral phytopaj plus ordinary treatment or ordinary treatment only. Changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte count (LC) and blood oxygen saturation (PO₂) were the endpoints. Results: Mean±SD of PO₂ in Phytopaj comparison ordinary treatment before intervention was 91.86±4.62 and 91.41±9.18, after the intervention it was 93.22±4.26 and 91.91±5.92 mmHg; before intervention, mean±SD of peripheral blood lymphocyte count was 1015.90±500.55, and 1104.28±543.61, and after intervention, it was 1652.27±921.38 and 1326.12±719.28/μL respectively. Participants' age, comorbidity, gender, and stage of
Conclusion: Phyopaj is most useful in moderate stages of Covid19, and it is not recommended for elderly patients and patients with comorbidity until more insight is gained.

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