SynthesisBMC complementary medicine and therapies2024
The effect of Oenothera biennis (Evening primrose) oil on inflammatory diseases: a systematic review of clinical trials.
Synthesis in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- The 2026 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for pain management in people with inflammatory arthritis.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Guideline
- Cold pressed oils: a systematic review on physicochemical properties, nutritional composition and pharmacological activities.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Dietary interventions in skin ageing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of physiological anthropology · 2025Pooled it
- Microbial cell factories for gamma-linolenic acid biosynthesis: metabolic engineering, downstream processing, and future perspectives.Bioresources and bioprocessing · 2026Review
- Modulatory effects of bioactive natural compounds on pruritic pathways: mechanistic basis and therapeutic prospects.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Review
- Soothing the Itch: The Role of Medicinal Plants in Alleviating Pruritus in Palliative Care.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Lower pain, less itching, and faster healing after ultrasound scalpel-assisted hemorrhoidectomy using an intimate cleaner containing chlorhexidine, acid hyaluronic acid, and natural anti-inflammatories: a multicenter observational case-control study.Annals of coloproctology · 2024Article
- Effectiveness of Evening Primrose and Vitamin E for Cyclical Mastalgia: A Prospective Study.Cureus · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEvening primrose oil (EPO), extracted from the seeds of Oenothera biennis, has gained attention for its therapeutic effects in various inflammatory conditions.
methodWe performed a systematic search in multiple databases and defined the inclusion criteria based on the following PICOs: P: Patients with a form of inflammatory condition, I: EPO, C: Placebo or other therapeutic interventions, O: changes in inflammatory markers or patients' symptoms; S: randomized controlled trials. The quality of the RCTs was evaluated using Cochrane's RoB tool.
resultsSeveral conditions were investigated in the literature. In rheumatoid arthritis, mixed results were observed, with some studies reporting significant improvements in symptoms while others found no significant impact. EPO showed some results in diabetes mellitus, atopic eczema, menopausal hot flashes, and mastalgia. However, it did not demonstrate effectiveness in chronic hand dermatitis, tardive dyskinesia, psoriatic arthritis, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis B, premenstrual syndrome, contact lens-associated dry eyes, acne vulgaris, breast cyst, pre-eclampsia, psoriasis, or primary Sjogren's syndrome. Some results were reported from multiple sclerosis after EPO consumption. Studies in healthy volunteers indicated no significant effect of EPO on epidermal atrophy, nevertheless, positive effects on the skin regarding hydration and barrier function were achieved.
conclusionSome evidence regarding the potential benefits of EPO in inflammatory disorders were reported however caution is due to the limitations of the current survey. Overall, contemporary literature is highly heterogeneous and fails to provide strong recommendations regarding the efficacy of EPO on inflammatory disorders. Further high-quality studies are necessitated to draw more definite conclusions and establish O. biennis oil effectiveness as an assuring treatment option in alleviating inflammatory conditions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.