“Evaluation of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver Disease: A Randomized, single blind, controlled trial”

Background and study aims

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder, affecting 23% to 32% of the global population. This clinical study aimed to assess the efficacy of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. compared to vitamin E in managing NAFLD.

Patients and Methods

In this randomized, single-blind, standard-controlled study, 68 patients with grade 1 (mild) and grade 2 (moderate) NAFLD were randomly assigned to receive either Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. powder in capsule form (500 mg orally, twice a day) in the test group or vitamin E (400 mg orally, twice a day) in the control group for 60 days. Secondary endpoints included improvements in fatty liver grades, ultra-sonographic liver span, lipid profile, and liver function parameters after 60 days. Primary endpoints included improvements in dull ache intensity in the right hypochondrium (RHC), dyspepsia, anorexia, and severity of malaise assessed at days 0, 15, 30, 45, and 61.

Results

Per protocol analysis was performed on 50 patients who completed the study. Both test and control groups showed significant improvement in dull ache severity in the RHC (p < 0.0001). The test group exhibited more favorable outcomes post-treatment (Chi-sq = 23.17, df = 2, p < 0.0001). Dyspepsia severity significantly improved in both groups post-treatment (p = 0.005 and p = 0.010, respectively), with the test group showing slightly better outcomes. Anorexia significantly improved in the test group (p = 0.016) from 72.00 % reporting absence post-treatment to 100.00 % absence, while the control group showed improvement without statistical significance (p = 0.102). Malaise severity significantly improved in the test group (p < 0.0001), with 84.00 % reporting absence post-treatment compared to 8.00 % in the control group, showing significant differences (p < 0.0001).

Both groups exhibited a significant reduction in liver span post-treatment (p-value < 0.0001) without inter- group differences. Fatty liver grades improved significantly in both groups post-treatment (p < 0.0001), with no significant difference between groups (Chi-sq = 4, df = 2, p = 0.1353). There were no changes in liver function markers and lipid parameters in both groups, though the test drug demonstrated a slight reduction in serum triglyceride levels. No drug-related adverse events were observed during the trial.

Conclusion

The study revealed that Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. is effective in managing NAFLD, showing better outcomes than vitamin E in subjective parameters like dyspepsia, malaise, anorexia, and dull ache in RHC. With no observed drug-related adverse events, Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. could be a suitable alternative to conventional treatment modalities for NAFLD.