Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38627722›Full record

Trial reportAIDS research and therapy2024

Evaluation of the effects of Artemisia Annua L. and Moringa Oleifera Lam. on CD4 count and viral load among PLWH on ART at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.

Silvano S Twinomujuni, Esther C Atukunda, Jackson K Mukonzo, Musinguzi Nicholas, Felicitas Roelofsen, Patrick E Ogwang

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in AIDS research and therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03366922 (EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF ARTEMISIA ANNUA AND MORINGA OLEIFERA ON IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN HAART HIV PATIENTS at MRRH), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT03366922 nacompletednot on this map

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF ARTEMISIA ANNUA AND MORINGA OLEIFERA ON IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN HAART HIV PATIENTS at MRRH

TypeinterventionalSponsorMbarara University of Science and TechnologyRan2017 to 2020Enrolled250ConditionsHIV InfectionsArmsArtemisia Annua, Moringa oleifera
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effects ofNutrients · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Effects ofFrontiers in nutrition · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Elucidating the Potential Mechanism of Ulcerative Colitis Amelioration byCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2026
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Silvano S TwinomujuniDepartment of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda. itwinomujuni@must.ac.ug.
Esther C AtukundaDepartment of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.
Jackson K MukonzoDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda.
Musinguzi NicholasDepartment of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.
Felicitas RoelofsenAction for Natural Medicine in the Tropics (ANAMED INTERNATIONAL), Winnenden, Germany.
Patrick E OgwangDepartment of Pharmacy, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology · UGMakerere University · UG

Funding

Integration of a patient-centered mobile health intervention (Support-Moms) into routine antenatal care to improve maternal health in UgandaR01HD111692 · NICHD · MBARARA UNIVERSITY/SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY · PI Esther Cathyln Atukunda · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD111692
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInitiation of ART among people living with HIV (PLWH) having a CD4 count ≤ 350cells/µl, produces poor immunological recovery, putting them at a high risk of opportunistic infections. To mitigate this, PLWH on ART in Uganda frequently use herbal remedies like Artemisia annua and Moringa oleifera, but their clinical benefits and potential antiretroviral (ARV) interactions remain unknown. This study examined the impact of A. annua and M. oleifera on CD4 count, viral load, and potential ARV interactions among PLWH on ART at an HIV clinic in Uganda.

methods282 HIV-positive participants on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with a CD4 count ≤ 350cells/µl were randomized in a double-blind clinical trial to receive daily, in addition to their routine standard of care either; 1) A. annua leaf powder, 2) A. annua plus M. oleifera, and 3) routine standard of care only. Change in the CD4 count at 12 months was our primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included changes in viral load, complete blood count, and ARV plasma levels. Participants were followed up for a year and outcomes were measured at baseline, 6 and 12 months.

resultsAt 12 months of patient follow-up, in addition to standard of care, administration of A. annua + M. oleifera resulted in an absolute mean CD4 increment of 105.06 cells/µl, (p < 0.001), while administration of A. annua plus routine standard of care registered an absolute mean CD4 increment of 60.84 cells/µl, (p = 0.001) compared to the control group. The A. annua plus M. oleifera treatment significantly reduced viral load (p = 0.022) and increased platelet count (p = 0.025) and white blood cell counts (p = 0.003) compared to standard care alone, with no significant difference in ARV plasma levels across the groups.

conclusionA combination of A. annua and M. oleifera leaf powders taken once a day together with the routine standard of care produced a significant increase in CD4 count, WBCs, platelets, and viral load suppression among individuals on ART. A. annua and M. oleifera have potential to offer an affordable alternative remedy for managing HIV infection, particularly in low-resource communities lacking ART access.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03366922.

Indexed as

Anti-HIV AgentsArtemisia annuaHIV InfectionsMoringa oleiferaAnti-Retroviral AgentsCD4 Lymphocyte CountDouble-Blind MethodHospitalsHumansReferral and ConsultationUgandaViral LoadAnti-HIV AgentsAnti-Retroviral AgentsARTArtemisia annuaCD4 countImmunological recoveryMoringa oleiferaViral load

Identifiers

PMID38627722
PMCPMC11020329
OpenAlexW4394866890

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.