Study | Authors | Herbal formula | Baseline assessment | Sample and design | Treatment F/U | Main results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chinese Herbal Nasal Drop | Chui et al., (2010) [15] | Yu-ping-feng San: | Interviewed by Chinese medicine practitioner and Western physician | 35 (20 and 15 in treatment and control group, respectively) | 2Â weeks treatment | Significant improvements in clinical symptoms: sneezing, itchiness, running nose, and stuffiness, as well as quality of life in terms of complexion and sleep |
Radix Ledebouriellae 5% | Follow-ups at the 2nd, 5th, and 7th week of treatment (2 + 3 + 2 weeks) after intervention | |||||
14–71 years old | ||||||
Others: | Two-groups, cross-over design | |||||
Radix Glycyrrhizae 6% | Outcomes: | |||||
Herba Centipede 23% | Clinical symptom score, | |||||
Herba Menthae 16% | Quality of life (ChQOL questionnaire) | |||||
Radix Paeoniae Alba 16% | ||||||
Blood test for RFT, LFT, haematological status, and C-reactive protein | ||||||
Radix Scutellariae 10% | ||||||
Radix Platcodi 6% | ||||||
Floz Lonicerae 5% | ||||||
Fructus Zizyphi Jujubae 5% | ||||||
Rhizoma Coptidis 4% | ||||||
Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 4% | ||||||
Shi-Bi-Lin | Zhao et al., (2009) [17] | Yu-ping-feng San: | ENT specialist assessment | 126 (both 63 in treatment and control group) | 4Â weeks treatment (twice daily) and 5 visits | Significant improvements in symptom diary and severity, and quality of life |
Skin test for dust mite, mould, and animal dander | Baseline measurement and each week of intervention; | Â | ||||
Saposhnikovia divaricata 7.5 g | 18–65 years old | |||||
Double-blinded RCT, with placebo control | ||||||
Blood test for LFT and full blood count | ||||||
Outcomes: | Medical overall assessment not reached statistical significance | |||||
2Â weeks follow-up after intervention | ||||||
Magnolia biondii Pamp 15Â g | Blood serum IgE, Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP), symptom records, medicine diary, quality of life (SF-36), overall medical condition, and level of compliance | |||||
Blood test for IgE and ECP also not significant difference | ||||||
Xanthium Sibiricum Patrin ex wider 7.5Â g | ||||||
Others: | ||||||
Angelica dahurica 20Â g | ||||||
Gentiana scabra Bunge 5Â g | ||||||
Verbena officinalis L. 5Â g | ||||||
Bu-Zhong-Yi-qi-tang | Yang & Yu, (2008) [20] | Formula ‘BZYQT, included: | Skin test and MAST dust mite | 60 (36 and 24 in treatment and control group, respectively) | 3 months treatment (BZYQT & Ping-wai-san) in powder form; 3 times/day after meal | Nasal score, IgE level, PGE2 and LTC4 significantly decreased immediately after intervention |
Yu-ping-feng San: | ||||||
Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz 2.0Â g | ||||||
17–32 years old | Pre- and post-test only | |||||
Perennial AR only | ||||||
Outcomes: | ||||||
RCT, comparing between two herbal formulae | ||||||
Astragalus mongholicus Bunge 6.0Â g | Nasal symptoms of Okuda and co-workers (1984); blood test for IgE, and measurement of E2 and LTC4, and COX smRNA | |||||
Others | ||||||
Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. 4.0Â g | ||||||
Citrus reticulate Blanco 2.0Â g | ||||||
Cimicifuga | ||||||
foetida L. 1.0Â g Angelica dah0rica fisch. ex Hoffim 2.0Â g | ||||||
Bupleurum chinense DC 1.0Â g | ||||||
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch 4.0Â g | ||||||
Ziziphus jujube Mill var. inermis Rehd 2.0Â g | ||||||
Zingiber officinale Rosc 3.0Â g | ||||||
Ping-wei-san: | ||||||
Atractylodes lancea Thunb 4.0Â g | ||||||
Magnolia officinalis Rehd. Et Wils 1.5Â g | ||||||
Citrus reticulate Blanco 1.0Â g | ||||||
Zingiber officinale Rosc 0.5Â g | ||||||
Ziziphus jujube Mill. var. inermis Rdhd 0.5Â g | ||||||
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch 1.0Â g | ||||||
Xin-Yi-San | Yang et al., (2010) [21] | Yu-ping-feng San: | Skin test for dust mite, mould and animal dander | 108 (62 and 38 in treatment and placebo control group, respectively) | 3Â months treatment (treatment and placebo groups) powders in capsule | Significant improvements in serum IgE level and nasal symptoms |
Outcomes: | ||||||
Multiple allergen simultaneous test, nasal symptoms, nasal airflow resistance, nostril dissection area, and serum titer of IgE | ||||||
18–64 years old RCT with placebo controls | ||||||
Pre- and post-test only | ||||||
Saposhnikovia divaricata schischk | ||||||
Others: | ||||||
Rhizome og Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch | ||||||
Magnolia Lilifloar desr | ||||||
Asarum heterotropoides | ||||||
Angelica dahu-rica Benth. Et Hook | ||||||
Rhizome of Liqusticum sinense Oliva | ||||||
Dried rhizomas of liqusticum Wallichi Franch | ||||||
Rhizomas of Cimicifuga foetida L. | ||||||
Rhizomas of Akebia quinata Decne | ||||||
Biminne | Hu et al., (2002) [18] | Yu-ping-feng San: | Assessed by physician and skin test | 58 (26 and 32 for treatment and placebo control group, respectively) 18–65 year old | Five capsules of herbal extract for 12 weeks and 5 visits | Non-significant improvement in symptom severity symptom improvements in treatment group and only sneezing was significantly improved |
Ledebouriella divaricata 460Â g | Outcomes: | |||||
Astragalus membranaceus 552Â g | Serum IgE, symptom diary with visual analogue scale, quality of life (RQLQ), patient evaluation of symptom improvement, and overall medical evaluation, and level of compliance | RCT with placebo controls | Baseline, interim and a few weeks after treatments | Quality of life was significantly improved | ||
Others: | Â | One year later treatment was offered to the placebo (wait-list) controls | ||||
Rehmannia glutinosa 460Â g | ||||||
Scutellaria baicalensis 460Â g | ||||||
Polygonatum sibiricum 368Â g | ||||||
Ginkgo biloba 460Â g | ||||||
Epimedium sagittatum 460Â g | ||||||
Psoralea corylifolia 460Â g | ||||||
Schisandra chinensis 368Â g | ||||||
Pulp of prunus mume 184Â g | ||||||
Angelica dahurica 368Â g | ||||||
Chinese herbal medicine | Xue et al., (2003) [19] | Yu-ping-feng San: | Assessed by Western (ENT) and Chinese medicine practitioners, conforming the diagnosis of AR | 55 (28 and 27 for treatment and control group, respectively) | 8Â weeks of extract capsules | Significant improvements in symptom severity scores and quality of life in treatment group in the 8th and 10th week |
Astragali, radix | ||||||
Pre- and post-test and 2Â weeks after treatment | ||||||
Atractylodis macrofephalae rhizome | ||||||
27–54 years old | ||||||
Saposhnikoviae, radix | Outcomes: | Subjects randomly allocated by computer | ||||
Others: | Nasal Symptom Quality of life (RQLQ), amount of medication use and blood tests for IgE, IgA, and IgM | |||||
Xanthii, fructus | ||||||
Angelicae Sinensis, radix | ||||||
Asari, herba | ||||||
Bupleuri, radix | ||||||
Cimicifugae, rhizome | ||||||
Codonopsis pilosulae, radix | ||||||
Chuanxiong, rhizome | ||||||
Magnolia, flos | ||||||
Menthae, herba | ||||||
Citri reticulatae, pericappium | ||||||
Plantaginis, semen | ||||||
Schisandrae, fructus | ||||||
Schizonepetae, herba | ||||||
Chebulae, fructus | ||||||
RCM-102 | Lenon et al., 2012 [16] | Yu-ping-feng San: | Medical assessment by ENT expert | 95 (47/48) | 8 weeks of treatment – two capsules 3 times per day (treatment and placebo group) | No significant differences on all outcomes |
18–65 years old | ||||||
Astragalus membranaceus (Fish.) | ||||||
Outcomes: | ||||||
Skin test, symptom severity, quality of life, and blood test for liver and kidney functions | ||||||
Saposhnikovia divaricate (Turcz). | ||||||
Bi-weekly F/U till the end of treatment | ||||||
Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Fisch.) | ||||||
Others: | ||||||
Bupleurum Chinense D.C. | ||||||
Magnolia Liliflora (Desr.) | ||||||
Mentha haplocalyx Briq. | ||||||
Schizonepeat Tenuifolia Briq | ||||||
Scutellaria baicalensis Geogi. |