Highlights
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common allergic diseases among people
- One of the herbal preparations that is suggested in Persian medicine for patients with AR is Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) flower oil.
- The result of this preliminary study showed that Viola odorata flower oil had significant positive effects on the symptoms of adults with allergic rhinitis.
Abstract
Introduction
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by attacks of rhinorrhea, sneezing, and nasal obstruction. Itching of the eyes, nose, and palate, postnasal drip, and cough are other common symptoms.
AR affecting 10 to 30 percent of people in industrialized countries. Developing countries report significant rates also. The prevalence of AR in the world is increasing that associated with significant morbidity and cost. Patients with AR have some problems such as anxiety, depression, reduced social productivity and academic functions, and lower quality of life.
Treatment approach that is to avoid allergen exposures, pharmacologic management and immunotherapy depend on the severity of disease. Although each of these treatments have their advantages, but each also have their limitations and side effects. So, there has been a growing interest to use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for the treatment of AR and other chronic diseases in the word.
One of the herbal preparations that is suggested in Persian medicine for patients with AR is Sweet Violet (
Viola odorata) flower oil. According to Persian medicine sources,
Viola odorata is a plant that has anti-itching, antitussive and analgesic properties, all of which are beneficial for patients who have AR. Moreover, previous studies have proven anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, antituusive, and antibacterial activities of this herb. This research is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Sweet Violet (
Viola odorata) flower oil on the symptoms of adults with allergic rhinitis.
Materials and Methods
Trial design
We designed this study with method of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. In this clinical trial, we assessed the safety and efficacy of
Viola odorata flower oil preparation in management of the symptoms of adults with allergic rhinitis. No changes occurred in the methods after trial commencement.
Participants
Inclusion criteria for the participants enrolled in this study were both sex of patients with diagnosis of mild to moderate AR, aged 18 to 60 years and they were informed willing to participate in the study. We used the ARIA guideline (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) as an evidence-based standard for classifying patients with allergies. Our patient presented with mild to moderate symptoms without any impairment in daily activity.The exclusion criteria were pregnancy and lactation, concomitant respiratory illness, concomitant use of herbal medicine or steroid, and history of allergy to sweet violet. This study was carried out in Ahvaz Imam Khomeini Hospital Clinic (Ahvaz, Iran) from February 2018 to July 2019.
Plant material
Fresh flowers of
Viola odorata were purchased from herbal market in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, Iran. The plant was identified by Dr Namjooyan, a pharmacognosist at Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), and was kept under Voucher Number (1294) at Ahvaz Jundishapur Medical Sciences Herbarium.
