title: Efficacy of the Mentha crispa in the treatment of women with Trichomonas vaginalis infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Mentha crispa in the treatment of women with Trichomonas vaginalis infection (TVI).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized, double-blind, and controlled clinical trial consisting of three phases, pre-treatment, treatment, and post-treatment. Sixty female patients were randomized to a treatment group, M. crispa (24 mg) or secnidazole (2,000 mg), both consisting of single dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment the proportion of patients without TVI in secnidazole group was 96.6% and in the M. crispa group was 90%, no difference was found between groups (P = 0.6120). We observed improvement in vaginal discharge, malodorous vaginal secretion, dyspareunia, dysuria, pelvic pain, and burning and itching in the genital area in patients of both groups of treatment, with no statistically significant differences between them (P > 0.05). Adverse effects were significantly higher (P = 0.0006) in the secnidazole group (66.6%) than in the M. crispa group (20%), that being mostly nausea and metallic taste with statistically significant differences between treatment groups (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to show that M. crispa is effective and safe, representing an alternative for the treatment of TVI in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil. gpclinica@unifac.med.br
authors.forename: Maria Elisabete A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Gilmara H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Mirna M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Francisco V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Fechine
authors.forename: Andréa V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: Wanda S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Fernando A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Frota Bezerra
authors.forename: Manoel O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Pacífica P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000994:Antitrichomonal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000469:parasitology; D053159:Dysuria / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D027541:Mentha; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000469:parasitology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000469:parasitology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D014247:Trichomonas Vaginitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000469:parasitology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000994:Antitrichomonal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; C576620:giamebil; D008795:Metronidazole; C016724:secnidazole