A comparative study of ranitidine and quince (Cydonia oblonga mill) sauce on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in pregnancy: a randomised, open-label, active-controlled clinical trial.

J Obstet Gynaecol. 2018 Mar 19:1-7. doi: 10.1080/01443615.2018.1431210. [Epub ahead of print] Shakeri A1, Hashempur MH2,3, Mojibian M4, Aliasl F5,6, Bioos S1, Nejatbakhsh F1. Author information 1 a Department of Persian Medicine, School of Persian Medicine , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran. 2 b Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center , Fasa University of Medical Sciences , Fasa , Iran. 3 c Essence of Parsiyan Wisdom Institute , Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plant Incubator, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz , Iran. 4 d Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine , Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences , Yazd , Iran. 5 e School of Persian Medicine , Qom University of Medical Sciences , Qom , Iran. 6 f Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Persian Medicine , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran. Abstract Quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill) is a popular medicinal herb in different traditional medicines. Concentrated quince fruit extract, also known as quince sauce (QS), is traditionally used for the treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of QS versus ranitidine on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in pregnant women. We compared the efficacy of 4 weeks of ranitidine (150 mg, twice daily) with the efficacy of QS (10 mg, after meals) on 137 pregnant women with GERD. Their General Symptom Score (GSS) and Major Symptom Score (MSS) were compared at the baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after intervention. After 2 weeks of the study, the mean GSS score of the QS group was significantly lower compared with the ranitidine group (p = .036). Although, the GSS value at the end of the study had no difference between groups (p = .074). However, the MSS of the different symptoms of the two groups at 2 weeks and 4 weeks had no significant differences. It seems that the efficacy of QS for the management of pregnancy-related GERD is similar to ranitidine. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Quince is a traditional gastric tonic, an appetiser, and a remedy for nausea/vomiting and epigastric pain. Also, there are several previous positive experiences about quince products for GERD treatment. What do the results of this study add? It seems that the efficacy of QS for the management of pregnancy-related GERD is similar to ranitidine. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? QS can be suggested as an alternative medicine for pregnant patients with GERD. KEYWORDS: Cydonia oblonga Mill; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; herbal medicine; pregnancy; quince; traditional Persian medicine PMID: 29553843 DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2018.1431210