Effects of dietary supplementation with lemon verbena extracts on serum inflammatory markers of multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND

Inflammation is one of the main contributory factors to the etiopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Dietary interventions with Lipia citriadora (lemon verbena) extracts have been proved to be effective in the prevention of inflammatory diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of lemon verbena supplementation in pro- and anti- inflammatory serum biomarkers of patients with different clinical subtypes of multiple sclerosis.

METHODS

The effect of lemon verbena supplementation (10% w/w verbascoside) was evaluated in a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled study with 30 participants classified in relapsing-remitting (n=10), primary progressive (n=5) and secondary progressive (n=15) MS presentations. Serum cytokine and C reactive protein levels were assessed in intervention and control groups for each MS clinical subtype after 28 days of dietary supplementation.

RESULTS

Serum levels of C reactive protein and 8 cytokines/ inflammatory (IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-23, IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-4 and IL-10) markers were studied. Secondary progressive MS- supplemented patients showed C reactive protein concentrations significantly lower compared to the placebo group (p.