13/09/2022
Still on the topic of Andrographis, are you having trouble with an osteoarthritis patient who is not responding as well as hoped to the usual treatments? According to a recent clinical trial, you could try Andrographis.
A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess the efficacy of an andrographolide-containing extract (at 300 and 600 mg daily; 50% andrographolide) on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain reduction in 103 patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Joint stiffness, physical function, changes in the short form 36 (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire, a fatigue scale, and safety were also evaluated. Patients treated with 300 or 600 mg/day of the Andrographis extract showed a significant reduction in pain at days 28, 56 and 84 compared to a placebo group. WOMAC stiffness scores, physical function score, and the fatigue score were also improved. At the end of the study, the quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) scores showed significant improvements in both treatment groups compared to placebo. The clinical effect was similar for both doses.
The authors noted that the biological actions of Andrographis in OA patients are unknown, however, several pieces of evidence suggest that andrographolide could be involved. In fact, andrographolide exerts a wide repertoire of biological responses in the inflammatory process, which includes interfering with NF‐kB binding in leukocytes, thereby reducing the transcription of several pro‐inflammatory proteins. In addition, andrographolide and neoandrographolide have been widely recognised as being effective in reducing several inflammatory markers associated with OA. For more information see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30968986/
