Evaluation of berberine pellet effect on clinical recovery time in COVID-۱۹ outpatients: A pilot clinical trial

Objective: Severe disease onset of COVID-۱۹ may result in alveolar injury and respiratory failure. Apoptosis and inflammation are the main causes of respiratory distress syndrome. Berberine is used in medicine as an analgesic, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral. In the current investigation, the effect of berberine on COVID-۱۹ outpatients was studied.Materials and Methods: The present clinical trial was performed on ۴۰ outpatients who were randomly assigned to berberine (۳۰۰ mg, TID, ۲ weeks) (n=۱۹) or placebo groups (n=۲۱). Both groups received standard therapy and they were monitored on days ۳, ۷, and ۱۴ after the beginning of the therapy for clinical symptoms’ improvement, quantitative CRP, lymphopenia, CBC, and SpO۲. The severity and frequency of these symptoms and the level of the parameters were statistically compared between the two groups.Results: On days (۰, ۳, ۷, and ۱۴, there was no significant difference between the berberine and placebo groups in the improvement of clinical symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, nausea, loss of smell and taste, diarrhea, dizziness, sore throat, stomachache, body aches, and body temperature), quantitative CRP, lymphopenia, WBC, neutrophils, platelets, or SpO۲.Conclusion: Berberine (۳۰۰ mg, TID, two weeks) is ineffective in treating COVID-۱۹. More research with a larger sample size is needed to investigate different berberine dosages in other pharmaceutical formulations.