Investigation of the effects of Capparis Spinosa Fruit pickle (Traditional Iranian Medicine product) on Liver Transaminases in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NFLD)

Abstract

Introduction: Despite numerous studies on complementary medicine, no studies have been conducted on the effects of caper fruit pickles on peptide enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this study, the effect of caper fruit pickle, as a product of traditional Iranian medicine, on anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver is investigated. Method: A randomized, controlled, double-blind, 12-week experiment is designed for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver that are randomly divided into two control (22 patients) and caper (22) groups. The caper group received 40 to 50 grams of caper fruit pickles daily along with food. Before and after treatment, anthropometric measurements, serum lipoproteins, hepatic enzymes, FBS, daily insulin levels, Homa-IR and cs-CRP are studied. Results: Weight and body mass index are significantly reduced in caper and control groups. This decrease is significant in the caper group compared with the control group (P < .01). After 12 weeks, Hs-CRP, HOMA-IR is decreased in both groups, especially the caper group, but this decrease is not significant in the control group. At the end of the study, FBS is not significantly changed. Regarding the baseline values, serum ALT and AST levels are significantly higher in the caper group than the control group from the beginning to the end of the study (P < .02). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the daily consumption of caper fruit pickle for 12 weeks can be effective on biochemical parameters in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver. To confirm these findings, further controlled studies should be conducted. Despite some studies on the effects of complementary medicine products, the effect of caper fruit pickle, as a product of traditional Iranian medicine, on patients with non-alcoholic liver disease is not clear.