title: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ten-cha (Rubus suavissimus) on house dust mite allergic rhinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-care with ten-cha is the most common complementary alternative medicine for allergic rhinitis in Japan, but evidence for an actual therapeutic effect is lacking. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ten-cha (Rubus suavissimus) on house dust mite allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in the otolaryngology departments of 5 facilities (Chiba University, Kagoshima University, Fukui University, Okayama University, and Nippon Medical School) from July to December 2009. A randomized double-blind study was performed with central enrollment and allocation. The subjects ingested 400mg of ten-cha extract or placebo (3 capsules/day) daily for 4 weeks as a food intervention. The number of subjects was chosen with anticipation of an effect equivalent to that of mast cell-stabilizing drugs. A nasal allergy diary-based symptom score and a QOL score were used for evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ten-cha and placebo groups included 47 and 42 subjects, respectively. The improvement rates for sneeze, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, and symptom scores were greater in the ten-cha group than in the placebo group throughout the intervention period, and the effect tended to increase with time in the ten-cha group. However, the differences between the groups were not significant. QOL was not significantly improved in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ingestion of ten-cha had an effect on allergic rhinitis, but the effect of Ten-Cha was limited and did not differ significantly from placebo. These results suggest that ten-cha does not exhibit an effect equivalent to mast cell-stabilizing drugs at the dose used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan. syonekura@faculty.chiba-u.jp
authors.forename: Syuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yonekura
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Toyoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanazawa
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsune
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurono
authors.forename: Takechiyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujieda
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okubo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D027824:Rosaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D012912:Sneezing / Q000187:drug effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations