Table 2.

Clinical trials on the effects of herbal treatments in patients having inflammatory bowel disease

Plant name	Plant part	Study design	Number of patients	Duration of treatment	Results	Type of IBD	Study
Artemisia absinthium	Powder	Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial	40	10 weeks	Complete remission in 65% of plants group in comparison to no remission in placebo group	CD	Micallef et al.[30]
Aloe vera	Gel	Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial	44	4 weeks	Clinical remission in 9, improvement in 11, and good response in 14 patients on aloe group in comparison to 1, 1 and 2 patients in placebo group, respectively. Also significant improvement in histological scores and index of clinical colitis activity in aloe group	UC	Langmead et al.[72]
Triticum aestivum	Grass juice	Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial	23	4 weeks	Significant improvement in severity of rectal bleeding and disease activity index. No serious side effects	UC	Ben-Arye et al.[73]
Andrographis paniculata	Extract	Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial	101	8 weeks	Significant reduction in the mean CRP level in 8th week in patients who received extract in comparison to placebo group	CD	Sandborn et al.[74]
Plantago Ovata	Seed	Open-label, parallel group, randomized	105	12 months	Same as mesalamine in maintenance of remission	UC	Rodríguez-Cabezas et al.[75]
Boswellia serrata	Powder	Open-label, parallel group, randomized	30	6 weeks	Improvement in more than one parameter such as stool properties in Boswellia group	UC	Gupta et al.[76]
Oenothera biennis	Oil	Placebo-controlled	43	6 months	Stool consistency improved and also was maintained even when the treatment discontinued	UC	Greenfield et al.[77]
Curcuma longa	Extract	Placebo-controlled, double-blind trial	89	6 months	A marked decrease in endoscopic index and the index of disease-associated clinical activity	UC	Algieri et al.[78]

CD=Crohn’s disease; UC=Ulcerative colitis; IBD=Inflammatory bowel disease