Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) as a tool for helping with Heavy menstrual bleeding

This review of Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd's purse), a plant recently introduced to European Pharmacopoeia, summarises its flavonoids and phenolic acids and its digestive-supporting and antihaemorrhagic properties confirmed by modern anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial research.

Objectives Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is one of the leading causes of low quality of life and iron deficiency anemia in women. This study aimed to determine the effect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Capsella bursa-pastoris on HMB. Design This study is a triple-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Setting The study was conducted in gynecology clinics affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Subjects Our patients affected to a complaint of HMB. After obtaining a complete medical history of the women and filling out the demographic forms, the participants were assigned randomly into the experimental (n = 42) and control groups (n = 42). Intervention The eligible participants were given a pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBLAC) to confirm HMB during the menstrual cycle. The experimental group received two capsules of mefenamic acid (500 mg) every 8 h and two Capsella bursa-pastoris capsules every 12 h. The intervention started from the first day of menstruation to the end of this period up to 7 days for two consecutive cycles. In the control group, the patients received mefenamic acid and placebo instead of Capsella bursa-pastoris capsules. Outcome measurements The PBLAC score and number of bleeding days, incidence of any possible problems, as well as participant satisfaction were measured. The data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-square, repeated-measures ANOVA, and ANCOVA tests in PASW Statistics ver. 18. Results After the intervention, there was observed significant decrease in the amount of menstrual bleeding in both groups. However, the mean decrease in the amount of bleeding was significantly more in the Capsella bursa-pastoris group (p Conclusion Compared with control group, hydroalcoholic extracts of Capsella bursa-pastoris capsule appeared to be effective in reducing menstrual bleeding in this study. Further research regarding the efficacy and safety of Capsella bursa-pastoris is required.

Ethanol and water extracts of Capsella bursa-pastoris and an organic-acid precipitate reduced croton-oil-induced haemorrhoids in rats, supporting the styptic and astringent antihaemorrhagic use of shepherd's purse.