Impact of Jollab on Blood Parameters in Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
Background: In cancer patients, a prominent side effect of chemotherapy drugs is bone marrow suppression, which leads to decreased blood cell production. Herbal remedies and natural substances such as honey may fulfill a role in relieving this complication. The present study aimed to determine the efficiency of Jollab (a honey-based syrup) in the prevention of pancytopenia in female patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: In a pilot double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 70 patients were examined in terms of leukocyte count, platelet count, and hemoglobin level at the Shohaday-e Tajrish Cancer Clinic (Tehran, Iran) in 2020. The intervention group consumed 10 ml of Jollab syrup three times a day for four weeks, while the control group took a placebo with the same prescription. The independent sample t-test and chi-squared test were used for data analysis in this trial. Results: Our data revealed that the total number of leukocytes, hemoglobin levels, and platelet counts have no significant differences between the two groups at the end of the study, but significant changes were discovered for hemoglobin and platelet levels in intragroup analysis for both intervention and placebo groups. Conclusion: Although the use of Jollab was not found to be effective in augmenting the levels of blood cell parameters in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, future studies of higher quality may demonstrate its supportive role provided the present limitations are addressed. [GMJ.2021;10:e1972]References
Nurgalieva Z, Liu C-C, Du XL. Chemotherapy use and risk of bone marrow suppression in a large population-based cohort of older women with breast and ovarian cancer. Med Oncol 2011; 28(3): 716-25.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-010-9512-5
PMid:20361359
Zidan J, Shetver L, Gershuny A, Abzah A, Tamam S, Stein M, et al. Prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia by special honey intake. Med Oncol. 2006; 23(4): 549-52.
https://doi.org/10.1385/MO:23:4:549
PMid:31921435
Krishnakumar GS, Mahendiran B, Gopalakrishnan S, Muthusamy S, Malarkodi Elangovan S. Honey based treatment strategies for infected wounds and burns: A systematic review of recent pre-clinical research. Wound Med. 2020; 30: 100188.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wndm.2020.100188
Abdulrhman MA, Hamed AA, Mohamed SA, Hassanen NA. Effect of honey on febrile neutropenia in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A randomized crossover open-labeled study. Complement Ther Med. 2016; 25: 98-103.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.01.009
PMid:27062956
Singh M, Chourasia H, Agarwal M, Malhotra A, Sharma M, Sharma D, et al. Honey as complementary medicine:-a review. Int Pharma Bio Sci. 2012; 3(2).
Sadr S, Kaveh S, Choopani R, Bayat H, Mosaddegh M. Efficacy and Safety of Iranian Poly Herbal Formulation (Compound Honey Syrup) in Pediatric Patients with Mild to Moderate Asthma: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Galen Med J. 2017; 6(4): 291-301.
https://doi.org/10.5812/pedinfect.36431
Pasalar M, Choopani R, Mosaddegh M, Kamalinejad M, Mohagheghzadeh A, Fattahi MR, et al. Efficacy of jollab in the treatment of depression in dyspeptic patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2015; 20(2): 104-8.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2156587214563542
PMid:25587004
Pasalar M, Choopani R, Mosaddegh M, Kamalinejad M, Mohagheghzadeh A, Fattahi MR, et al. Efficacy and safety of jollab to treat functional dyspepsia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Explore (NY). 2015; 11(3): 199-207.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2015.02.007
PMid:25777290
Evans JD, Spivak M. Socialized medicine: individual and communal disease barriers in honey bees. J Invertebr Pathol 2010; 103(Suppl): S62-72.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2009.06.019
PMid:19909975
Yaghoubi M, Gh G, Satari R. Antimicrobial activity of Iranian propolis and its chemical composition. Daru. 2007; 15(1): 45-8.
Paramasivan S, Drilling AJ, Jardeleza C, Jervis-Bardy J, Vreugde S, Wormald PJ. Methylglyoxal-augmented manuka honey as a topical anti-Staphylococcus aureus biofilm agent: safety and efficacy in an in vivo model. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2014; 4(3): 187-95.
https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.21264
PMid:24415444
Afrin S, Haneefa SM, Fernandez-Cabezudo MJ, Giampieri F, Al-Ramadi BK, Battino M. Therapeutic and preventive properties of honey and its bioactive compounds in cancer: an evidence-based review. Nutr Res Rev. 2020: 33(1): 50-76.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422419000192
PMid:31791437
Norouzian R, Ghafari S, Heydarirad G, Fahimi S. Development of a honey based tonic syrup for cancer-related fatigue. Res J Pharmacogn 2017; 4(Suppl): 60.
Afsari Sardari F, Mosleh G, Azadi A, Mohagheghzadeh A, Badr P. Traditional and Recent Evidence on Five Phytopharmaceuticals from Rosa damascena Herrm. Res J Pharma. 2019; 6(3): 77-84.
Sina HA. Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb [The Canon of Medicine]. Beirut, Lebonan: Alaalami Library; 2005.
Jorjani SE. Zakhireye Kharazm Shahi (Treasure of Kharazm Shah) Tehran: Iranian Medical Academy; 2001.
Arzani MA. Mofareh Al-Gholub. Lahoor: salim lahoor; 1915.
Bhandari PR. Crocus sativus L. (saffron) for cancer chemoprevention: A mini review. J Tradit Complement Med. 2015; 5(2): 81-7.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.10.009
PMid:26151016 PMCid:PMC4488115
Shah ZA, Mir R, Matoo JM, Dar MA, Beigh M. Medicinal importance of saffron: A review. J Pharma Phytochem. 2017; 6(5): 2475-8.
Moazen-Zadeh E, Abbasi SH, Safi-Aghdam H, Shahmansouri N, Arjmandi-Beglar A, Hajhosseinn Talasaz A, et al. Effects of Saffron on Cognition, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2018; 24(4): 361-8.
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2017.0173
PMid:29185780
Boskabady MH, Shafei MN, Saberi Z, Amini S. Pharmacological effects of rosa damascena. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2011; 14(4): 295-307.
Mahboubi M. Rosa damascena as holy ancient herb with novel applications. J Tradit Complement Med. 2016; 6(1): 10-6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2015.09.005
PMid:26870673 PMCid:PMC4737971
Aghili Shirazi MH. Moalejat-e Aghili (Persian). Tehran: Institute of Meical History, Islamic Medicine and Complementary Medicine; Iran Medical University; 2008.
Aghili Shirazi MH. Makhzan-al-advia (Persian). Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2009.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
