The Effects of Lamiaceae Plants on Sex Hormone Levels and Clinical Signs in Women with Hirsutism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The purpose of this systematic review was to reach a general conclusion regarding the effects of Lamiaceae plants on hirsutism by performing a meta-analysis of the clinical trials. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched and selected from the results of clinical studies to evaluate the effect of Lamiaceae plants on hirsutism. Results: Three clinical studies were selected for meta-analysis. In the performed meta-analysis, changes in androgenic hormones levels were non-significant for total testosterone (TT) (SMD = -0.03; 95% CI [-0.68, 0.08]; P= 0.12) and significant for free testosterone (FT) (SMD = -0.85; 95% CI [- 1.45, -0.25]; P= 0.005). On the other hand, FSH level did not reduce (SMD = -0.39; 95% CI [-1.83, 1.06]; P= 0.60), while LH showed a marginally significant increase (SMD = 0.37; 95% CI [-0.007, 0.75]; P= 0.055). Ferriman – Gallway score did not show a remarkable change based on the metaanalysis of two studies (SMD = 0.89; 95% CI [-0.73, 2.51]; P= 0.28). Conclusion: The results showed that the Lamiaceae family can reduce serum levels of some hormones and signs of hirsutism. However, they do not change signs of hirsutism.