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Efficacy of the herbal product of Cuscuta campestris Yunck. and Polypodium vulgare L. in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A triple-blind clinical trial.

  • 2026-01
  • Journal of ethnopharmacology 354
    • Behnaz Bakhshinejad
    • Abdolreza Sabahi
    • Tania Dehesh
    • Zarrin Sarhadynejad
    • Mehrnaz Mehrabani
    • Mahdiyeh Khazaneha
    • Mehrzad Mehrbani
    • Mitra Mehrabani

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size
n = 84
Population
84 individuals with OCD
Methods
Triple-blind clinical trial, 8 weeks of DPHP tablets twice daily vs placebo, both alongside fluvoxamine (100 mg twice daily)
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
8 weeks
Funding
Unclear

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Cuscuta campestris Yunck. and Polypodium vulgare L. are medicinal plants widely used in traditional Persian medicine to treat various mental health conditions, such as Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Aim of the study

OCD is among the top ten disorders that cause disability and decrease quality of life. Considering the lack of a definitive treatment method and the side effects of the existing drugs, the application of complementary medicine in treating this disorder seems reasonable. The current study aimed to investigate the therapeutic impact of a dodder and polypody herbal product (DPHP) in OCD patients.

Materials and methods

In this triple-blind clinical trial, 84 individuals with OCD were assigned to two groups of DPHP and placebo receivers at random. While taking fluvoxamine tablets (100 mg twice daily), the first group was prescribed DPHP tablets, and the second group was prescribed placebo tablets twice daily. The intensity of manifestations and the participant's quality of life were evaluated at the beginning of the trial and after four and eight weeks of intervention using the Yale-Brown and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires, respectively.

Results

The severity of OCD symptoms in both groups decreased significantly after four and eight weeks (P-value <0.001). The DPHP group's reduction rate was significantly higher than the placebo group (P-value = 0.043). The quality of life improved significantly in both groups (P-value <0.001). However, the increase in the quality of life in the DPHP group was significantly higher compared to the placebo group (P-value = 0.042).

Conclusions

DPHP, taken alongside fluvoxamine, can effectively alleviate the symptoms of OCD and increase the quality of life. Therefore, it could be regarded as a complementary therapeutic alternative to OCD.

Research Insights

  • Polypodium→Improved Quality of Life

    The quality of life improved significantly in both groups (P-value <0.001). However, the increase in the quality of life in the DPHP group was significantly higher compared to the placebo group (P-value = 0.042).

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Moderate
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