Abstract
Background: Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in modern societies. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rising and is expected to reach 440 million people by 2030. Although effective steps have been taken in diabetes treatment using common chemical drugs, these drugs are often followed by numerous side effects, necessitating the search for new medications with natural origin, especially those derived from traditional and complementary medicine.
Methods: In this double-blind clinical trial, 90 type 2 diabetic patients were randomly divided into three groups: saffron (30 patients), Melissa officinalis (29 patients), and placebo (28 patients). After obtaining informed written consent from each patient, blood samples were collected from all participants, and the corresponding drug was delivered to each patient. After the participants took the medications for three months, blood samples were taken again to analyze the biochemical parameters. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: At the outset of the investigation, no significant differences existed among the three groups regarding the pertinent variables. The results showed that saffron supplement and M. officinalis significantly decreased fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P<0.001), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) (P<0.05), triglyceride (P<0.05), and total cholesterol (P<0.001) compared to pre-intervention stage. No significant effects were observed for other parameters.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that lemongrass and saffron extracts significantly affected the control of FBS, HbA1c, triglycerides, and blood cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes patients, suggesting their administration alongside other treatments.