Effects of sesame seed supplementation on clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis

AIM: Up to now there have been no human studies to evaluate the effect of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in osteoarthritis patients; this study was designed to assess the effect of administration of sesame on clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Fifty patients with knee OA referred to the only specialty and subspecialty orthopedic centers in the north-west of Iran, were selected and divided into two groups, namely control and sesame groups. Twenty-five patients in the control group received standard treatment while 25 patients in the sesame group received 40 g/day sesame by oral administration during 2 months of the study along with standard drug therapy. The KOOS Questionnaire, Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) tests were used for clinical assessments. RESULTS: There was significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups (P = 0.004) after treatment. The mean score of the KOOS Questionnaire in both treatment and control groups was significantly increased (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) compared with baseline. The mean score of the TUG Questionnaire in both treatment and control groups was significantly decreased (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively) compared with baseline. There was significant difference in post-treatment scores of the KOOS Questionnaire (P = 0.009) and TUG (P = 0.002) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed a positive effect of sesame in improving clinical signs and symptoms in patients with knee OA and indicated the fact that sesame might be a viable adjunctive therapy in treating OA.