A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal and human studies demonstrates the beneficial effects of Kaempferia parviflora on metabolic syndrome and erectile dysfunction

Abstract

Kaempferia parviflora (KP) has traditionally been used for centuries to promote health and well-being. Scant evidence is available to explain the relationship between KP and metabolic syndrome and impotence. We sought to test the hypothesis that administration of KP extract enriched with active ingredients, such as polymethoxyflavone, could improve metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and related outcomes in in vivo. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the in vivo effects of KP extract on metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and related outcomes. Studies from 4 databases (i.e., PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched from inception up to December 2022. Animal experiment studies and randomized controlled trials comparing KP extract to a placebo control were retrieved and analyzed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. The effect estimate was presented as the standardized mean difference along with its 95% confidence interval (CI). Of 664 articles, a total of 57 articles met our prespecified criteria. KP extract significantly decreased fasting blood glucose in both animal and human studies with standardized mean difference of –0.88 (95% CI, –1.63 to –0.14) and –0.51 (95% CI, –0.98 to –0.05), respectively. Furthermore, KP extract also markedly improved sexual function and physical performance. In sum, KP extract is shown to have effects beneficial to metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and physical performance.