Impact of Jollab on Blood Parameters in Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31661/gmj.v10i.1972Keywords:
Jollab; Breast Cancer; Chemotherapy; Honey; Bone Marrow Suppression; Persian MedicineAbstract
Background: In cancer patients, a prominent side effect of chemotherapy drugs is bone marrow suppression, which leads to decreased blood cell production. Herbal remedies and natural substances such as honey may fulfill a role in relieving this complication. The present study aimed to determine the efficiency of Jollab (a honey-based syrup) in the prevention of pancytopenia in female patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: In a pilot double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 70 patients were examined in terms of leukocyte count, platelet count, and hemoglobin level at the Shohaday-e Tajrish Cancer Clinic (Tehran, Iran) in 2020. The intervention group consumed 10 ml of Jollab syrup three times a day for four weeks, while the control group took a placebo with the same prescription. The independent sample t-test and chi-squared test were used for data analysis in this trial. Results: Our data revealed that the total number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels, and platelet counts have no significant differences between the two groups at the end of the study, but significant changes were discovered for hemoglobin and platelet levels in intragroup analysis for both intervention and placebo groups. Conclusion: Although the use of Jollab was not found to be effective in augmenting the levels of blood cell parameters in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, future studies of higher quality may demonstrate its supportive role provided the present limitations are addressed. [GMJ.2021;10:e1972]
References
Nurgalieva Z, Liu C-C, Du XL. Chemotherapy use and risk of bone marrow suppression in a large population-based cohort of older women with breast and ovarian cancer. Med Oncol 2011; 28(3): 716-25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-010-9512-5PMid:20361359 Zidan J, Shetver L, Gershuny A, Abzah A, Tamam S, Stein M, et al. Prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia by special honey intake. Med Oncol. 2006; 23(4): 549-52. https://doi.org/10.1385/MO:23:4:549PMid:31921435 Krishnakumar GS, Mahendiran B, Gopalakrishnan S, Muthusamy S, Malarkodi Elangovan S. Honey based treatment strategies for infected wounds and burns: A systematic review of recent pre-clinical research. Wound Med. 2020; 30: 100188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wndm.2020.100188 Abdulrhman MA, Hamed AA, Mohamed SA, Hassanen NA. Effect of honey on febrile neutropenia in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A randomized crossover open-labeled study. Complement Ther Med. 2016; 25: 98-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.01.009PMid:27062956 Singh M, Chourasia H, Agarwal M, Malhotra A, Sharma M, Sharma D, et al. Honey as complementary medicine:-a review. Int Pharma Bio Sci. 2012; 3(2). Sadr S, Kaveh S, Choopani R, Bayat H, Mosaddegh M. Efficacy and Safety of Iranian Poly Herbal Formulation (Compound Honey Syrup) in Pediatric Patients with Mild to Moderate Asthma: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Galen Med J. 2017; 6(4): 291-301. https://doi.org/10.5812/pedinfect.36431 Pasalar M, Choopani R, Mosaddegh M, Kamalinejad M, Mohagheghzadeh A, Fattahi MR, et al. Efficacy of jollab in the treatment of depression in dyspeptic patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2015; 20(2): 104-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587214563542PMid:25587004 Pasalar M, Choopani R, Mosaddegh M, Kamalinejad M, Mohagheghzadeh A, Fattahi MR, et al. Efficacy and safety of jollab to treat functional dyspepsia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Explore (NY). 2015; 11(3): 199-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2015.02.007PMid:25777290 Evans JD, Spivak M. Socialized medicine: individual and communal disease barriers in honey bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2010; 103(Suppl): S62-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.019PMid:19909975 Yaghoubi M, Gh G, Satari R. Antimicrobial activity of Iranian propolis and its chemical composition. Daru. 2007; 15(1): 45-8. Paramasivan S, Drilling AJ, Jardeleza C, Jervis-Bardy J, Vreugde S, Wormald PJ. Methylglyoxal-augmented manuka honey as a topical anti-Staphylococcus aureus biofilm agent: safety and efficacy in an in vivo model. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2014; 4(3): 187-95. https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.21264PMid:24415444 Afrin S, Haneefa SM, Fernandez-Cabezudo MJ, Giampieri F, Al-Ramadi BK, Battino M. Therapeutic and preventive properties of honey and its bioactive compounds in cancer: an evidence-based review. Nutr Res Rev. 2020: 33(1): 50-76. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422419000192PMid:31791437 Norouzian R, Ghafari S, Heydarirad G, Fahimi S. Development of a honey based tonic syrup for cancer-related fatigue. Res J Pharmacogn 2017; 4(Suppl): 60. Afsari Sardari F, Mosleh G, Azadi A, Mohagheghzadeh A, Badr P. Traditional and Recent Evidence on Five Phytopharmaceuticals from Rosa damascena Herrm. Res J Pharma. 2019; 6(3): 77-84. Sina HA. Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb [The Canon of Medicine]. Beirut, Lebonan: Alaalami Library; 2005. Jorjani SE. Zakhireye Kharazm Shahi (Treasure of Kharazm Shah) Tehran: Iranian Medical Academy; 2001. Arzani MA. Mofareh Al-Gholub. Lahoor: salim lahoor; 1915. Bhandari PR. Crocus sativus L. (saffron) for cancer chemoprevention: A mini review. J Tradit Complement Med. 2015; 5(2): 81-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.10.009PMid:26151016 PMCid:PMC4488115 Shah ZA, Mir R, Matoo JM, Dar MA, Beigh M. Medicinal importance of saffron: A review. J Pharma Phytochem. 2017; 6(5): 2475-8. Moazen-Zadeh E, Abbasi SH, Safi-Aghdam H, Shahmansouri N, Arjmandi-Beglar A, Hajhosseinn Talasaz A, et al. Effects of Saffron on Cognition, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2018; 24(4): 361-8. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2017.0173PMid:29185780 Boskabady MH, Shafei MN, Saberi Z, Amini S. Pharmacological effects of rosa damascena. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2011; 14(4): 295-307. Mahboubi M. Rosa damascena as holy ancient herb with novel applications. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016; 6(1): 10-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2015.09.005PMid:26870673 PMCid:PMC4737971 Aghili Shirazi MH. Moalejat-e Aghili (Persian). Tehran: Institute of Meical History, Islamic Medicine and Complementary Medicine; Iran Medical University; 2008. Aghili Shirazi MH. Makhzan-al-advia (Persian). Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2009.
