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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1371137
This article is part of the Research Topic Nutritional Approaches in Chronic Liver Diseases View all 16 articles

Effects of Portulaca Oleracea (Purslane) on Liver function tests, Metabolic profile, Oxidative stress and Inflammatory biomarkers in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Trial

Provisionally accepted
Narges Milkarizi Narges Milkarizi 1Hanieh Barghchi Hanieh Barghchi 1Saba Belyani Saba Belyani 2Hossein Bahari Hossein Bahari 1*Farnood Rajabzade Farnood Rajabzade 3Andisheh N. Ostad Andisheh N. Ostad 1Ladan Goshayeshi Ladan Goshayeshi 1Mohsen Nematy Mohsen Nematy 1Vahid R. Askari Vahid R. Askari 1
  • 1 Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan, Iran
  • 2 North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnourd, North Khorasan, Iran
  • 3 Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease.Portulaca oleracea exhibits anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects. This clinical trial aimed to investigate the potential benefits of Portulaca oleracea in improving NAFLD.Methods: This double-blind, randomized clinical trial enrolled 70 patients with NAFLD assigned to either the intervention group (n=35) or placebo group (n=35) using stratified block randomization. The intervention group received 700 mg Portulaca oleracea supplement for eight weeks, while the control group received placebo capsules. In addition, all participants received a calorie-restricted diet. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using elastography along with liver function and metabolic tests, blood pressure measurements, body composition analysis and dietary records pre-and post-intervention.The average age of the participants was 44.01 ± 8.6 years, of which 34 (48.6%) were women. The group receiving Portulaca oleracea showed significant weight changes, body mass index, fat mass index, and waist circumference compared to the placebo (P<0.001). In addition, blood sugar, lipid profile, liver enzymes aspartate and alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and systolic blood pressure were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to those in the placebo (P<0.05). During the study, inflammatory and oxidative stress indicators, improved significantly (P<0.05). Based on the elastography results, the hepatorenal ultrasound index and liver stiffness decreased significantly in the Portulaca oleracea group compared to the placebo (P<0.001).The present clinical trial showed that receiving Portulaca oleracea supplement for eight weeks can improve the condition of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

    Keywords: non-alcoholic fatty liver, Liver steatosis, Portulaca oleracea, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Purslane ALP: Alkaline Phosphatase, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, AST: Aspartate Aminotransferase

    Received: 15 Jan 2024; Accepted: 19 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Milkarizi, Barghchi, Belyani, Bahari, Rajabzade, Ostad, Goshayeshi, Nematy and Askari. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hossein Bahari, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 91778 9919, Razavi Khorasan, Iran

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