Table 1.

Characteristics of the included studies in the systematic review

	Author, y	Country	Study subject	Sample size	Dose	Intervention group	Mean age ± SD (year)	Outcome	Intervention duration	Result (means ± SD)
										Group	Mean change	Significance	SMD
1	Asemi et al. [25]	Iran	GDM Women	I = 35	200 mg	MT	28.6 ± 4.6	FPG	6 weeks	I	−10.5 ± 11.9	Yes	−0.51
				C = 35						P	4.5 ± 12.9
1	Asemi et al. [25]	Iran	GDM Women	I = 35	200 μg	MT	28.6 ± 4.6	Insulin	6 weeks	I	−1.98 ± 11.25	Yes	−0.33
				C = 35						P	5.26 ± 9.33
1	Asemi et al. [25]	Iran	GDM Women	I = 35	200 μg	MT	28.6 ± 4.6	HOMA-IR	6 weeks	I	- 0.84 ± 2.76	Yes	−0.40
				C = 35						P	1.47 ± 2.46
1	Asemi et al. [25]	Iran	GDM Women	I = 35	200 μg	MT	28.6 ± 4.6	HOMA-B	6 weeks	I	−1.71 ± 43.62	No	−0.21
				C = 35						P	16.30 ± 36.69
1	Asemi et al. [25]	Iran	GDM Women	I = 35	200 μg	MT	28.6 ± 4.6	QUICKI	6 weeks	I	0.008 ± 0.03	No	0.37
				C = 35						P	−0.01 ± 0.01
2	Shargorodsky et al. [34]	Israel	Patients with CVDRF	I = 36	100 μg	CT	62.17 ± 6.21	FPG	6 months	I	2 ± 60	No	−0.02
				C = 34						P	4.3 ± 51
2	Shargorodsky et al. [34]	Israel	Patients with CVDRF	I = 36	100 μg	CT	62.17 ± 6.21	HbA1c %	6 months	I	−0.75 ± 2.1	Yes	−0.21
				C = 34						P	0.04 ± 1.5
3	Rayman et al. [33]	USA	Elderly adults	I1 = 120	100 μg	MT	67.5	Adiponectin	6 months	I1	−0.02 ± 2.15	No	0.01
				I2 = 124	200 μg					I2	−0.02 ± 1.8	No	0.02
				I3 = 117	300 μg					I3	0.07 ± 1.85	No	0.04
				C = 100						P	−0.1 ± 1.94
4	Alizadeh et al. [24]	Iran	Premenopausal women with central obesity	I = 17	200 μg/d	CT	33.9 ± 8.5	Insulin	6 weeks	I	−3.4 ± 10.25	No	−0.21
				C = 17						P	0.2 ± 5.33
4	Alizadeh et al. [24]	Iran	Premenopausal women with central obesity	I = 17	200 μg/d	CT	33.9 ± 8.5	HOMA-IR	6 weeks intervention period	I	−0.8 ± 2.05	Yes	−0.2
				C = 17						P	0.1 ± 1.43		4
5	Murer et al. [32]	Switzerland	Obese children and adolescents	I = 23	50 μg	CT	12.7 ± 1.5	Insulin	4 months	I	17.5 ± 178.56	No	−0.04
				C = 21						P	33.26 ± 147.65
5	Murer et al. [32]	Switzerland	Obese children and adolescents	I = 23	50 μg	CT	12.7 ± 1.5 y	FPG	4 months	I	−0.05 ± 0.57	No	0.05
				C = 21						P	−0.11 ± 0.59
5	Murer et al. [32]	Switzerland	Obese children and adolescents	I = 23	50 μg	CT	12.7 ± 1.5 y	C – Peptide	4 months	I	52 ± 507.6	No	−0.04
				C = 21						P	98.5 ± 570.02
6	Mao [31]	UK	Primiparous women	I = 104	60 μg	MT		Adiponectin	From 12 weeks of gestation until delivery	I	−3.05 ± 5.45	No	−0.01
				C = 106						P	−2.91 ± 5.1
7	Jamilian et al. [30]	Iran.	Women with PCOS	I = 35	200 μg/d	MT	25.4 ± 5.1	FPG	8 weeks	I	−0.23 ± 0.75	No	−0.18
				C = 35						P	−0.01 ± 0.33
7	Jamilian et al. [30]	Iran.	Women with PCOS	I = 35	200 μg/d	MT	25.4 ± 5.1	Insulin	8 weeks	I	−29.8 ± 47.29	Yes	−0.29
				C = 35						P	9.07 ± 77.12
7	Jamilian et al. [30]	Iran.	women with PCOS	I = 35	200 μg/d	MT	25.4 ± 5.1	HOMA-IR	8 weeks	I	−1.15 ± 1.81	Yes	−0.29
				C = 35						P	0.42 ± 3.09
7	Jamilian et al. [30]	Iran.	Women with PCOS	I = 35	200 μg/d	MT	25.4 ± 5.1	QUICK 1	8 week	I	0.03 ± 0.04	Yes	0.30
				C = 35						P	0.00 ± 0.05
7	Jamilian et al. [30]	Iran.	women with PCOS	I = 35	200 μg/d	MT	25.4 ± 5.1	HOMA- B	8 week	I	−19.0 ± 30.95	Yes	−0.28
				C = 35						P	4.55 ± 47.99
8	Faghihi et al. [27]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes	I = 33	200 μg/d	MT	53.54 ± (7.52)	HOMA-IR	3 months	I	0.13 ± 2.9	No	0.37
				C = 27						P	−2.23 ± 2.95
8	Faghihi et al. [27]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes	I = 33	200 μg/d	MT	53.54 ± (7.52)	FPG	3 months	I	17 ± 35.8	Yes	0.42
				C = 27						P	−20.04 ± 43.5
8	Faghihi et al. [27]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes	I = 33	200 μg/d	MT	53.54 ± (7.52)	HbA1c	3 months	I	−0.38 ± 1.2	Yes	0.37
				C = 27						P	−1.26 ± 0.95
8	Faghihi et al. [27]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes	I = 33	200 μg/d	MT	53.54 ± (7.52)	Insulin	3 months	I	−1.19 ± 5.9	No	0.30
				C = 27						P	−5.29 ± 6.85
9	Faure et al. [29]	France	Diabetic patients	I = 27	960 μg/d	MT	49 to 58 year	FPG	3 months	I	0.35 ± 1.75	No	0.03
				P = 21						P	0.21 ± 2.61
9	Faure et al. [29]	France	Diabetic patients	I = 27	960 μg/d	MT	49 to 58 year	HbA1c%	3 months	I	−0.23 ± 1.85	Yes	−0.02
				P = 21						P	−0.14 ± 1.42
9	Faure et al. [29]	France	Diabetic patients	I = 27	960 μg/d	MT	49 to 58 year	Insulin	3 months	I	0.89 ± 5.1	Yes	0.09
				P = 21						P	−0.04 ± 4.9
10	Farrokhian et al. [28, 40]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes & CHD	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	40–85 years	FPG	8 weeks	I	- 2.2 ± 58.5	No	0.05
				C = 30						P	- 7.3 ± 35.3
10	Farrokhian et al. [28, 40]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes & CHD	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	40–85 years	Insulin	8 weeks	I	- 2.2 ± 4.6	Yes	−0.39
				C = 30						P	3.6 ± 8.4
10	Farrokhian et al. [28, 40]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes & CHD	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	40–85 years	HOMA-IR	8 weeks	I	- 0.7 ± 1.3	Yes	−0.38
				C = 30						P	0.9 ± 2.4
10	Farrokhian et al. [28, 40]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes & CHD	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	40–85 years	HOMA-B	8 weeks	I	- 7.5 ± 17.2	Yes	−0.38
				C = 30						P	15.1 ± 34.5
10	Farrokhian et al. [28, 40]	Iran	Patients with type 2 diabetes & CHD	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	40–85 years	QUICKI	8 weeks	I	0.01 ± 0.03	Yes	0.31
				C = 30						P	- 0.01 ± 0.03
11	Mohammad Hosseinzadeh et al. [35]	Iran	Patients with PCOS	I = 26	200 μg/d	MT	18–42 years	FPG	12 weeks	I	5.38 ± 15.4	No	0.14
				C = 27						P	1.53 ± 10.97
11	Mohammad Hosseinzadeh et al. [35]	Iran	Patients with PCOS	I = 26	200 μg/d	MT	18–42 years	Insulin	12 weeks	I	0.74 ± 5.04	No	0.23
				C = 27						P	−1.5 ± 4.31
11	Mohammad Hosseinzadeh et al. [35]	Iran	PCOS patients	I = 26	200 μg/d	MT	18–42 years	HOMA-IR	12 weeks	I	0.30 ± 1.27	Yes	0.27
				C = 27						P	−0.37 ± 1.04
12	Bahmani 2015	Iran	diabetic nephropathy	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	45–85 years	FPG	12 weeks	I	0.7 ± 40.7	No	−0.07
				C = 30						P	4.7 ± 45.1
12	Bahmani 2015	Iran	diabetic nephropathy	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	45–85 years	QUICKI	12 weeks	I	0.009 ± 0.01	No	0.39
				C = 30						P	0.00 ± 0.01
12	Bahmani 2015	Iran	diabetic nephropathy	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	45–85 years	Insulin	12 weeks	I	−3.1 ± 4.6	Yes	−0.31
				C = 30						P	0.5 ± 6.2
12	Bahmani 2015	Iran	diabetic nephropathy	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	45–85 years	HOMA-IR	12 weeks	I	−0.9 ± 1.4	Yes	−0.3
				C = 30						P	0.10 ± 1.7
12	Bahmani 2015	Iran	diabetic nephropathy	I = 30	200 μg/d	MT	45–85 years	HOMA-B	12 weeks	I	−11.3 ± 16.3	Yes	−0.33
				C = 30						P	2.3 ± 22.0

RCT randomized controlled trial, CT Combination Therapy, MT Mono Therapy, I Intervention group, C Control group, FPG fasting plasma glucose, HOMA-IR homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance, HOMA-B homeostasis model of assessment-estimated b cell function, QUICKI quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, HbA1c hemoglobin A1c, CVDRF cardiovascular diseases risk factors

* Quasi experimental study