Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Benjakul Remedy Extract for Treating Primary Osteoarthritis of Knee Compared with Diclofenac: Double Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Benjakul (BJK) extract for treating primary osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee compared with diclofenac. METHODS: A phase 2, double blind, randomized, and controlled study was conducted. The BJK group received 300 mg of BJK extract per day, while another group received 75 mg of diclofenac per day. All patients were followed up at 14 and 28 days. The changing of visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, 100-meter walking times, the modified Thai WOMAC index scores, and the global assessment were evaluated for efficacy. For safety issue, clinical signs and symptoms, complete physical examination, and renal and liver function were evaluated. RESULTS: 39 and 38 patients for BJK extract group and diclofenac group were evaluated. For efficacy, all patients from both groups reported a decrease in the VAS pain score and 100-meter walking times but only the diclofenac group showed significant reduction of both measurements when compared with day 0. The modified Thai WOMAC scores of both groups were significantly reduced from baseline. However, all efficacy outcomes were not significantly different for both groups. For safety outcomes, the patients from both groups had no severe adverse events reported and only BJK had no toxicity in renal and liver functions. CONCLUSIONS: The BJK remedy extract showed equal clinical efficacy in relieving symptoms of OA knee when compared with diclofenac.