Pilot study evaluating the use of Emblica officinalis standardized fruit extract in cardio-respiratory improvement and antioxidant status of volunteers with smoking history

Emblica officinalis (Indian Goosebery, Phyllanthus emblica) was evaluated for cardio-respiratory and anti-oxidant status in human volunteers with a long smoking history, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled pilot study. E. officinalis fruit extract (EOE) standardized to contain not less than 60% (w/w) of low molecular weight hydrolyzable tannoids (Emblicanin-A, Emblicanin-B, Pedunculagin, Punigluconin) was used in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, with Group I consisting of 20 subjects receiving 250 mg of EOE twice a day for 60 days and Group II consisting of 10 subjects receiving 250 mg of placebo twice a day for 60 days. Subjective parameters – mouth hygiene, cough with expectoration, shortness of breath on exertion, loss of appetite, feelings of impending doom, palpitation, sleep deprivation, irritability, heart burn and tiredness were evaluated at 0 (baseline), 30 and 60 days. Objective parameters – hemogram, lipid profile, cardiovascular risk factors, genotoxicity, antioxidant status and pulmonary function were assessed at days 0 (baseline) and 60 of the study.EOE treated group showed a significant improvement compared to the placebo group in all the subjective and objective parameters tested with no reports of adverse events.This pilot study provides some further evidence of the protective effect of E. officinalis in cardio-respiratory and antioxidant status of volunteers with chronic smoking history.