title: Therapeutic effects of Citrullus colocynthis fruit in patients with type II diabetes: A clinical trial study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Citrullus colocynthis plant was traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes in Sabzevar city, Iran. This study aimed to investigate the effects of C. colocythis on fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c in patients with type II diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 70 patients with type II diabetes attending the diabetes clinic in Sabzevar city were investigated. Patients were divided into two groups of intervention and placebo randomly and were studied for 2 months. Mean serum level of FBS and HbA1c was compared within and between groups at the end of the study. Data were analyzed using student and paired t-tests via SPSS software version 16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant difference was revealed between before and after intervention for HbA1c and FBS levels in the intervention group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). The difference between before and after intervention for FBS and HbA1c levels in the placebo group were not significant (P = 0.8, P = 0.68 respectively). This study showed a negative relationship between either the mean ± standard deviation serum level of FBS or HbA1c and body mass index in the treatment group significantly (P = 0.03, 0.008, respectively). The present study did not identify any side effects during the study period among the treatment group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the findings of this study, application of 125 mg C. colocynthis once per day for 2 months can lead to considerable decrease in the mean levels of HbA1c and FBS among the patients with type II diabetes without any side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: Batol
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barghamdi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghorat
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; The Researches Center of Prevention for Psychosocial Injuries, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: Khairollah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asadollahi
authors.affiliation: The Researches Center of Prevention for Psychosocial Injuries, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: Kourosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sayehmiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
authors.forename: Robab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peyghambari
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghobad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abangah
keywords: Citrullus colocynthis; HbA1c; diabetes; fasting blood sugar