Evaluation of the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia alone and combined with Boswellia thurifera compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial

Clin Rheumatol. 2017 Aug;36(8):1849-1853. doi: 10.1007/s10067-017-3603-z. Epub 2017 Mar 27. Evaluation of the effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia alone and combined with Boswellia thurifera compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Karimifar M1, Soltani R2, Hajhashemi V3, Sarrafchi S4. Author information 1 Department of Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. soltani@pharm.mui.ac.ir. 3 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. 4 Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common articular disorders. Many patients do not respond to acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the mainstay of pharmacotherapy for knee OA. The plants Elaeagnus angustifolia and Boswellia thurifera have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of E. angustifolia alone and in combination with B. thurifera compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial, 75 patients with knee OA were randomly and equally assigned to one of three groups Elaeagnus (n = 23), Elaeagnus/Boswellia (n = 26), and ibuprofen (n = 26) to receive the capsules of Elaeagnus, Elaeagnus/Boswellia, and ibuprofen, respectively, three times daily with meals for 4 weeks. Pain severity based on VAS (visual analog scale, 0 to 10 scale) and the scores of LPFI (Lequesne Pain and Function Index) and PGA (patient global assessment) were determined pre- and post-intervention for all patients. All interventions had significant lowering effects on VAS, LPFI, and PGA scores (P < 0.001 for all parameters) with no significant difference between groups in terms of effects on all evaluated parameters. Consumption of E. angustifolia fruit extract either alone or in combination with Boswellia oleo-gum resin extract could decrease pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis comparable to ibuprofen. KEYWORDS: Boswellia thurifera; Clinical trial; Elaeagnus angustifolia; Ibuprofen; Knee osteoarthritis PMID: 28349271 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-017-3603-z