Efficacy of Phytopharmaca (Cinnamon, Turmeric, Ginger and Garlic) as an Adjuvant in Rheumatoid Arthritis Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Emerging scientific evidence suggests that herbal medicine or phytopharmaca could be used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – a chronic inflammatory disorder caused by autoimmune. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of herbal plants (including Curcuma longa/turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and garlic) as adjuvants in managing RA. A literature search was conducted based on ProQuest, PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Wiley Libraries for randomised controlled trials published until 18 May 2024. Cochrane RoB 2 was utilised to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Eleven randomised controlled trials with a total of 619 patients were included. Only curcumin was included in the pooled analysis since other herbal plants were only reported in a single study. Curcumin was found effective to improve DAS-28 scores (mean difference [MD] = –1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: –1.61, –.73; P