Efficacy and Safety of Labisia pumila var alata Water Extract Among Pre- and Postmenopausal Women

• Published in: Journal of medicinal food Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 929 - 938
• Main Authors: Norhayati, Mohd Noor, George, Annie, Nik Hazlina, Nik Hussain, Azidah, Abdul Kadir, Intan Idiana, Hassan, Law, Kim Sooi, Shaiful Bahari, Ismail, Wan Zahiruddin, Wan Mohamed, Liske, Eckehard, Azreena, Abas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mary Ann Liebert, Inc 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Adult; analysis of variance; estradiol; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - metabolism; follicle-stimulating hormone; Humans; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; luteinization; luteinizing hormone; memory; Memory - drug effects; Middle Aged; placebos; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - adverse effects; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; postmenopause; Postmenopause - drug effects; Postmenopause - metabolism; Postmenopause - psychology; Premenopause - drug effects; Premenopause - metabolism; Premenopause - psychology; Primulaceae - chemistry; Quality of Life; questionnaires; risk; sleep; women; women's health; Malaysia; hormonal profile; cardiovascular risk factors; safety profiles; quality of life; Labisia pumila var alata
• ISSN: 1557-7600; 1557-7600
• DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2013.2953

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of Labisia pumila var alata (L. pumila) water extract for improving quality of life, cardiovascular and hormonal balance. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, 16-week study in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women aged 40–60 years was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia. The subjects were randomized to 400 mg propriety extract of L. pumila or placebo. A Women's Health Questionnaire was used to assess quality of life. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the data. A total of 197 subjects (L. pumila: n=102 and placebo: n=95) were analyzed. Subjects in the herbal group showed improved memory/concentration, vasomotor symptoms, menstrual symptoms, and sleep problems by 8.3%, 15.9%, 11.8%, and 31.0%, respectively. The greatest improvement was observed for the question: “I get frightened or panic feelings for apparently no reason at all” with a 53% decrease as compared with placebo. Improvements were also seen in the cardiovascular parameters, and the safety profiles were normal. Postmenopausal women supplemented with L. pumila showed no changes in gynecological relevant hormones luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and 17β-Estradiol. Water extract of L. pumila was shown to be safe and effective for improving several parameters of quality of life and cardiovascular risks factors (total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]).