title: Effect of a traditional syrup from Citrus medica L. fruit juice on migraine headache: A randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Persian ethnomedicine several herbal remedies and functional foods have been used to treat migraine headache which are mostly summarized in Qarabadin-e-kabir (Aghili-Shirazi MH, 1773). One of them is Citron syrup (Sharbat-e-Balang) containing edible Citrus medica L. fruit juice and sugar. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of Citron syrup on patients with migraine headache.
  
  
  METHODS
  Citron syrup was prepared as described in Qarabadin-e-kabir. In this double blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, ninety patients with migraine headache were allocated to three parallel groups (Citron syrup, propranolol or placebo). Patients received 15ml of Citron syrup, placebo syrup or 20mg of propranolol tablet three times daily after a meal for 4 weeks. Primary outcomes were obtained from three measures: the frequency (per month), mean duration (hour) and mean intensity (visual analogue scale "VAS" 0-10 score) of headache attacks evaluated prior to and following 4 weeks of the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Citron syrup was superior to placebo in reduction of headache attacks intensity (P<0.01) and duration (p<0.0001) and as effective as propranolol in patients with migraine headache (P>0.05). However, unlike propranolol, Citron syrup could not significantly reduce the frequency of attacks compared to placebo. No indication of any serious side effects from Citron syrup was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to obtained results, Citron syrup as a traditional Persian remedy can be suggested as an effective treatment for decreasing pain intensity and duration of attacks in migraine headache and the effectiveness is comparable to propranolol. However, the syrup did not show significant effect on frequency of attacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jafarpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: ghyousefi@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Gholamhossein
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yousefi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: hamediaz@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Azadeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Shiraz Neurosciences Research Center and Clinical Neurology Research Center, Shiraz University, Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Medicine, Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Medicine, Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heydari
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D011433:Propranolol
keywords: Citron; Citrus medica; Clinical trial; Juice syrup; Migraine headache; Persian Traditional Medicine