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BENEFITS OF SEA BUCKTHORN FRUIT OIL AS ADJUVANT THERAPY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

GEORGETA STEFANOVICI ZUGRAVU 1,2, DANIELA CRISTINA DIMITRIU 3, CORINA PARASCHIVA CIOBANU 3, BOGDAN IONEL TAMBA 3,4, MITICA CIORPAC 4, COSMIN- TEODOR MIHAI 4,5, CARMEN-MARINELA CUMPAT 2,3, MIHAI BREBU 6, ALEXANDRU MANDICI 1, ALINA DIANA PANAINTE 1, ADRIANA TRIFAN 1, ANCA MIRON 1*

1Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16, Universitatii Str., 700115, Iasi, Romania
2Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital, 14, Pantelimon Halipa Str., 700661, Iasi, Romania
3Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16, Universitatii Str., 700115, Iasi, Romania
4Advanced Research and Development Centre for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9-13, Mihail Kogalniceanu Str., 700259, Iasi, Romania
5Medical Investigations Praxis SRL, 35, Moara de Vant Str., 700376, Iasi, Romania
6Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41A, Grigore Ghica Voda Al., 700487, Iasi, Romania

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Sea buckthorn fruits and fruit oil have been traditionally used to cure rheumatism and inflammation affecting various parts of the body, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of sea buckthorn fruit oil supplementation in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and under treatment with a combination of methotrexate and diclofenac sodium. Administration of sea buckthorn fruit oil (1800 mg daily for 12 weeks), as an adjuvant to remissive treatment, caused a more pronounced decrease in serum malondialdehyde level in comparison with the control group (receiving only methotrexate and diclofenac sodium), but it did not have a significant impact on inflammatory markers. In addition, sea buckthorn fruit oil supplementation significantly alleviated pain intensity, physical disability, patients' general condition, disease activity/severity and fatigue in comparison with the control group. Our results provide evidence for certain benefits of sea buckthorn fruit oil supplementation to a combination of methotrexate - diclofenac sodium in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.