Table 5.
Clinical claims of A. calamus in neurological and metabolic disorders.
| Formulations/Dosage forms A. calamus | Subjects | Study Design | Intervention | Primary Endpoint | Outcome | Evidence Quality | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. calamus rhizome powder | 24 patients of both sexes with hyperlipidemia | Randomized single-blind controlled study | 500 mg twice daily after meal for 1 month | BMI, body perimeter, skinfold depth | Significant reduction in skinfold depth, fatigue, and excessive hunger | III | [178] |
| Davaie Loban capsules (A. calamus, nut grass, incense, ginger, and black pepper) | 24 patients of both sexes with Alzheimer’s disease | Double-blind randomized clinical study | 500 mg capsule thrice daily for 3 months | ADAS-cog and CDR-SOB scores | At 4 weeks and 12 weeks: significant reduction in the ADAS-cog and CDR-SOB scores | III | [179] |
| 70% hydro-alcoholic extract of A. calamus | 33 patients of both sexes (20 male and 13 female) with anxiety disorder | Non-randomized, open-label, single-arm study | 500 mg extract of one capsule twice daily after meal for 2 months | BPRS score | Significant reduction of anxiety and stress-related disorder | III | [180] |
| Vachadi Churna (A. calamus, Cyperus rotundus, Cedrus deodara, ginger, Aconitum Heterophyllum, T. chebula) | 30 obese patients of both sexes aged 14–50 years | Non-randomized, open-label, single-arm study | 3 g powder twice daily with lukewarm water before meal for 1 month | BMI, girth measurements of mid-thigh, abdomen, hip, chest | Significant improvement in extreme sleep, body heaviness, fatigue, and excessive hunger | III | [181] |
| Guduchyadi Medhya Rasayana, (A. calamus, Tinospora cordifolia, Achyranthes aspera, Embelia ribes, Convolvulus pluricaulis, T. chebula, S. lappa, Asparagus racemosus, cow ghee, and sugar) | 138 patients of both sexes aged 55–75 years with senile memory impairment | Randomized, two-parallel-group study | 3 g granule thrice daily after meal for 3 months | Mini–Mental State Examination, BPRS score, and estimation of serum acetylcholinesterase | Significant improvement in terms of recall memory, cognitive impairment, amnesia, concentration ability, depression, and stress | III | [182] |
| Dried aqueous extract of A. calamus | 40 healthy volunteers, both sexes aged 18–50 years with a premedicant for anesthesia | Open-label randomized, two- parallel-group study | 90 min before anesthesia; In the control group: 0.2 mg intramuscular (IM) glycopyrrolate and a 0.2 mg IM 50 mg tablet of promethazine hydrochloride with water; In the second group: 0.2 mg IM glycopyrrolate and 100 mg A. calamus extract |
Pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature | The dried aqueous extract exhibited anti-hyperthermic and sedative effect without producing any respiratory depression |
III | [183] |
| Shankhapushpyadi Ghana Vati (A. calamus, C. pluricaulis, Bacopa monnieri, T. cordifolia, C. fistula, A. indica, S. lappa, Tribulus terrestris) | 20 hypertensive patients of both sexes | Randomized single-blind controlled study |
1 g twice daily after meal for 2 months | SBP and DBP | Significant relief in raised SBP and DBP | III | [184] |
| Brahmyadiyoga (A. calamus, Centella asiatica, Rauvolfia serpentina, Saussurea lappa, Nardostachys jatamansi) | 10 schizophrenia patients of both sexes aged 18–40 years | Non-randomized, open-label, single- arm study |
4 tablets thrice daily for three months after meal | Symptoms rating scale | Significant effect as a brain tonic, tranquillizer, hypnotic, and sedative | III | [185] |
| Bala compound (A. calamus, Emblica officinalis, E. ribes, T. cordifolia, Piper longum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, C. rotundus, A. heterophyllum) | 24 neonates, both sexes, 2.5–3 kg body weight | Randomized single-blind controlled study |
5 oral drops twice daily for 6 months | Change in serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) levels | Significant improvement in immunoglobulin levels after 6 months | Ib | [186] |
| Vachadi Ghrita (A. calamus, T. cordifolia, Hedychium spicatum, C. pluricaulis, E. ribes, ginger, A. aspera, T. chebula, and cow ghee) | 90 healthy individuals of both sexes aged 40–50 years for assessment of cognition | Non-randomized positive-controlled study |
10 g twice daily for 1 month with lukewarm water | Post Graduate Institute Memory Scale (PGIMS) test | Significant change in the mental balance score, holding of like and different pairs, late-immediate memory, and also improved digestion |
III | [187] |
| Bramhi Vati (A. calamus, B. monnieri, C. pluricaulis, Onosma bracteatum, copper pyrite, iron pyrite, mercuric sulphide, Piper nigrum, N. jatamansi) | 68 essential hypertension patients of both sexes aged 20–70 years | Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group comparative study | 500 mg tablets twice daily for 1 month | Hamilton anxiety rating scale, SBP and DBP, and MAP | Significant improvement in the Hamilton anxiety rating scale, SBP and DBP, and MAP | III | [188] |
| Tagaradi Yoga (A. calamus, Valeriana wallichii, N. jatamansi) | 24 insomnia patients of both sexes aged 18–75 years | Non-randomized positive-controlled study | 500 mg hydro-alcoholic extract capsule twice daily after meal for 15 days | Sleep duration, initiating time of sleep, quality of sleep | Significant improvement in sleep duration, in the initiating time of sleep, and in quality of sleep | III | [189] |
| Acorus calamus rhizome powder | 20 obese patients of both sexes | Randomized single-blind study | 250 mg rhizome powder twice daily for 1 month | Body weight, height according to age, waist-hip ratio, and BMI | Significant improvement in extreme sleep, body heaviness, fatigue, and excessive hunger | III | [190] |
| Acorus calamus rhizome powder | 45 ischemic heart disease patients | Non-randomized positive-controlled study | 3 gm rhizome powder twice daily for 3 months | ECG, serum cholesterol level | Improvement of chest pain, dyspnea on effort, reduction of the body mass index, improved ECG: reduced serum cholesterol, reduced serum LDL, and increased serum HDL | Ib | [191] |
ADAS-cog, alzheimer’s disease assessment scale–cognitive subscale; BMI, body mass index; BPRS, brief psychiatric rating scale; CDR-SOB, clinical dementia rating scale sum of boxes; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; ECG, electrocardiogram; Ib, evidence from at least one randomized study with control; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; Ig, immunoglobulin; III, evidence from well-performed nonexperimental descriptive studies, as well as from comparative studies, correlation studies, and case studies; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MAP, mean arterial pressure; SBP, systolic blood pressure.