Green Cardamom Plus Low Calorie Diet Can Decrease Inflammatory Genes Expression Among Obese Women With Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract PurposePolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of endocrine disorder and infertility among womenin which is related with low grade inflammation. Therefore, this current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlledclinical trial assessed the effects of green cardamom supplementation on inflammatory markers and gene expressionamong obese women with PCOS.MethodsWe included 194 obese PCOS women that gave all of them low calorie diet. These subjects were randomlydivided in two studied groups including intervention with 3 g/day green cardamom (n=99) and placebo groups (n=95).Anthropometric indices, androgen hormones, and inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), Interleukin6 (IL-6), and C- reactive protein (CRP)) were assessed before and after four months intervention. Their TNF-α, IL-6,and CRP genes expression level were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)method.ResultsAnthropometric indices were improved in both two studied groups (P<0.001). Among androgen hormonesluteinizing hormone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were significantly decreased (P<0.001), as wellas, follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly increased (P<0.001) in the green cardamom group. Our findingsshowed that TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP serum were significantly decreased after the intervention with green cardamomplus low calorie diet (P<0.001). In addition, the expression level of TNF-α and CRP genes were significantly decreasedin intervention groups (P<0.001).ConclusionsThis present study support the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of green cardamom on theinflammatory status in the PCOS women.Level of evidenceLevel I, randomized clinical trialTrial registrationThis trial was registered with the Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (registration number:IRCT20200608047697N1). 1 August, 2020; https://www.irct.ir/trial/48748