Exploring the impact of herbaceous Apiaceae family plants on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review protocol

Primary dysmenorrhea is a leading cause of job and school absenteeism among young females. Despite its high prevalence, contemporary medicine offers limited treatment options. Herbaceous members of the Apiaceae family, such as Pimpinella anisum L., Anethum sowa L., Cuminum cyminum L., and Foeniculum vulgare Mill., are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat primary dysmenorrhea. Currently, there is no comprehensive assessment of their therapeutic efficacy and safety. This study protocol assesses how effective and safe these herbs are in managing primary dysmenorrhea.

The following databases will be searched without language restriction until May 2024: Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, AYUSH Research Portal, and DHARA, along with grey literature, and other sources. The risk of bias tool (RoB2) will evaluate the validity and applicability of study results. The review will address publication bias by taking appropriate measures. The review will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for transparent and systematic reporting.

The review will incorporate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Apiaceae herbs to no treatment, placebo, medication, or standard care. It is anticipated that these herbs will significantly reduce menstrual pain severity, measured via the visual analogue scale (VAS), and exhibit fewer adverse events than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

This review aims to compile evidence on the efficacy and safety of Apiaceae herbs for primary dysmenorrhea, highlighting the need for further studies.

CRD42024538888.