Preprint / Version 1

A double-blind, randomized pilot study for comparison of Melissa officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. with Fluoxetine for the treatment of depression

Authors

  • Mostafa Araj-Khodaei Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran
  • Mohammad Kamalinejad School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • Fatemeh Alijaniha Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran
  • Zahra Parsian Emergency Medicine Research Team, Daneshgah St. Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
  • Soghrat Faghihzadeh Department of Biostatistic and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Mahdavi St., Karmandan Town, Zanjan, Iran
  • Elham Emaratkar Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran
  • Fatemeh Emadi Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran
  • Reza Yarani Department of Pediatrics E, Copenhagen Diabetes Research Center (CPH-DIRECT), Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, 2730 Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Ahmad Noorbala Psychosomatic Medicine Research center, Psychosomatic Ward, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, End of Keshavarz Blv, Tehran, Iran
  • Mohsen Naseri Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

Keywords:

Depression, Traditional Persian medicine, Herbal medicine, Fluoxetine, Melissa officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia

Abstract

Depression has rapidly progressed worldwide, and the need for an efficient treatment with low side effect has risen. Melissa officinalis L and Lavandula angustifolia Mill have been traditionally used in Asia for the treatment of depression. Many textbooks of traditional Persian medicine refer to these herbs for the treatment of depression while there are no adequate clinical trials to support this claim. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of M. officinalis and L. angustifolia compared to fluoxetine for the treatment of mild to moderate depression in an 8-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Methods Forty-five adult outpatients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) for major depression, were randomly assigned to 3 groups to daily receive either M. officinalis (2 g) or L. angustifolia (2 g) or fluoxetine (20 mg) and were assessed in weeks 0, 2, 4 and 8 by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) including 17 items. Results Our study showed that M. officinalis and L. angustifolia effect similar to fluoxetine in mild to moderate depression. (F = 0.131, df = 2,42, p = 0.877). Conclusion Due to some restrictions in this study including absence of placebo group, large-scale trials are needed to investigate the anti-depressant effect of these two herbs with more details. Trial registration IRCT2014061718126N1. Registration date: 2015-06-04-“Retrospectively registered”. Keywords: Depression, Traditional Persian medicine, Herbal medicine, Fluoxetine, Melissa officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia

Author Biographies

Mostafa Araj-Khodaei, Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

Department of Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Fatemeh Emadi, Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

Reza Yarani, Department of Pediatrics E, Copenhagen Diabetes Research Center (CPH-DIRECT), Herlev University Hospital, Herlev, 2730 Copenhagen, Denmark

Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Mohsen Naseri, Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Research Center, Shahed University, 1471, North Kargar, Engelab Square, Tehran, Iran

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