Post-market outcome of an extract of traditional Cretan herbs on upper respiratory tract infections: a pragmatic, prospective observational study

Abstract

BackgroundThe beneficial effects of traditional herbs of Crete, Greece for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections have been reported in observational and laboratory studies. Following a published, double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an extract of three Cretan herbs on the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, upon its market release.MethodsAn observational study was conducted in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Participants were patients presenting at selected pharmacies with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, choosing to receive the extract for their treatment. Patients’ symptoms (local, general, total) where recorded at three time points within 1 week, using a questionnaire developed based on the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory System Survey. For each patient, symptoms were scored on a 0–7 Likert scale and three indexes were calculated: the score of local symptoms, the score of general symptoms and the total score of symptoms. Effectiveness was assessed by examining the reduction in these indexes over the 1-week observation period.ResultsMean score of general symptoms was 19.1 (SE: 0.9) in day 1, dropping to 8.6 (SE: 0.6) and 3.1 (SE: 0.4) in days 4 and 7 respectively. Mean score of local symptoms declined from 7.9 (SE: 0.5) in day 1 to 2.3 (SE: 0.3) in day 4 and to 0.5 (SE: 0.1) in day 7. Total score of symptoms reached 27.0 (SE: 1.2) in day 1, decreasing to 10.9 (SE: 0.8) in day 4 and to 3.5 (SE: 0.5) in day 7. The percentage of participants reporting fever was 82.1% at baseline, 8.0% in day 4 and 2.0% in day 7 (p < 0.0001 for paired differences). Multiple regression models indicated that supplementary medication intake did not seem to affect symptoms’ severity or the day patients reported that their symptoms ceased completely.ConclusionsThis pragmatic study added evidence about the potential therapeutic effects of an extract of Cretan herbs on the amelioration of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-017-1978-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Toxicity evaluation of an essential oil mixture from the Cretan herbs thyme, Greek sage and Cretan dittany

“…These animal toxicity data greatly support our previous evidence of the absence of short-term toxicity for CAPeo from the double-blind randomized controlled clinical study, where participants received CAPeo for 7 days 9,10 . Analyzing the same hematological and biochemical parameters (Fig.…”

“…As a result, many therapeutic agents have been developed. Under this scope, CAPeo (Cretan Aromatic Plants essential oil) was formulated, taking advantage of previous observational studies of our group 5 , exhibiting significant antiviral properties and reducing the duration and severity of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections 9 , 10 . However, since many plants can exert toxic effects, the assumption that a composition is safe because it is natural, needs careful consideration, as, in many cases, adverse reactions may occur if inappropriately used.…”

“…Our results showed that CAPeo had a remarkable antiviral activity against influenza A/H1N1 virus strains, influenza B, and human rhinovirus 14 (HRV14), mainly due to defective trafficking of influenza A Nucleoprotein 8 . Additionally, in a double-blind randomized controlled trial, where CAPeo was administered to human subjects at doses corresponding to the consumption of 2-3 cups of beverage per day, confirmed that CAPeo decreases symptoms duration and severity, as well as systemic inflammation, as assayed by C-reactive protein [CRP] levels 9,10 , in patients with upper respiratory tract infections, with an apparent absence of toxicity, after the recommended 1-week consumption. Having in mind that certain herbal essential oils may have toxic effects, and that there are limited data concerning the toxicity of the used aromatic plant essential oils as a mixture, a thorough investigation of in vivo toxicity was essential, in spite of the lack of evidence for toxicity in humans 9 .…”

The Therapeutic Potential of the Essential Oil of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Origanum dictamnus L. and Salvia fruticosa Mill. And a Case of Plant-Based Pharmaceutical Development

“…Based on this study, we have focused on three of the most efficient plants (Coridothymus capitatus, Salvia fruticosa and Origanum dictamnus) and developed a supplement, efficient at combatting upper respiratory tract infections (Duikler et al, 2015;Anastasaki et al, 2017).…”

“…We systematically analyzed the habits of a rural population in Crete and reported that use of different plant infusions, alone or in combination, resulted in a significant protection from common cold and influenza infections ( Lionis et al, 1998 ). Based on this study, we have focused on three of the most efficient plants ( Coridothymus capitatus , Salvia fruticosa and Origanum dictamnus ) and developed a supplement, efficient at combatting upper respiratory tract infections ( Duikler et al, 2015 ; Anastasaki et al, 2017 ).…”