Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42038874›Full record

ArticleGalen medical journal2025

Evaluating Ma-ol-asal Syrup for Chemotherapy-induced Fatigue in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients: A Randomized Double-blinded Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial :.

Ata Amani, Bayazid Ghaderi, Mehdi Pasalar, Khaled Rahmani, Kiarash Zare, Thomas Rampp, Ghazaleh Heydarirad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Galen medical journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Ata AmaniTraditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center and Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Bayazid GhaderiCancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
Mehdi PasalarResearch Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Khaled RahmaniLiver and Digestive Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
Kiarash ZareShiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Thomas RamppDepartment of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Evang. Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Ghazaleh HeydariradTraditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center and Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chemotherapy-induced fatigue (CIF) is a common and debilitating side effect in cancer patients, particularly those with gastrointestinal cancers. This study explores the potential of Ma-ol-asal, a traditional Persian herbal syrup, as a holistic, supportive approach to alleviate CIF's physical and psychological burdens. Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 120 gastrointestinal cancer patients with fatigue, randomly assigned to receive 10 mL of Ma-ol-asal (compound honey syrup) or placebo thrice daily for four weeks. Fatigue was assessed with validated scales at baseline and post-intervention once, with data analyzed to evaluate efficacy. Results: After withdrawals, 42 patients per group remained. No significant demographic or lab differences were observed. Both groups had comparable scores post-treatment across all measures, with no significant differences. Adverse events, mainly nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, were similar. Perception of benefit varied between groups. Conclusion: Our study shows Ma-ol-asal syrup isn't superior to placebo for chemotherapy-induced fatigue, highlighting significant placebo effects. This emphasizes the need to understand harnessing placebo responses to improve symptom management safely.

Indexed as

CancerChemotherapyFatigueHoneyPersian MedicineSupportive Care

Identifiers

PMID42038874
PMCPMC12825107

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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.