The effects of purslane (Portulaca oleracea) on C-reactive protein, lipid profile, and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Although numerous trials have demonstrated the benefits of purslane on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the results of some studies reject such effect. We elucidated the influence of purslane on c-reactive protein (CRP), lipid profile, and glycemic control in patients with T2DM. We conducted a systematic search on Web of Sciences, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase, to identify studies published from their inception to February 10, 2024. The random effect model was used to calculate the combined effect, the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and its 95 % confidence interval (CI). Purslane supplementation significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (WMD: -15.01; 95 % CI: -25.31, -4.71, p= 0.004), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: -17.75; 95 % CI: -26.06, -9.45; p< 0.001), triglyceride (TG) (WMD: -21.30; 95 % CI: -32.59, -10.00; p< 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: -6.10; 95 % CI: -9.52, -2.68; p< 0.001), and CRP levels (WMD: -1.44; 95 % CI: -2.25, -0.63; p< 0.001), and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (WMD: 6.17; 95 % CI: 2.53, 9.80; p< 0.001). Also, purslane did not significant effect on serum levels of insulin, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), and homeostatic model Assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The results of our study showed that purslane supplementation improved FBG, and lipid profile levels, but did not affect HOMA-IR, insulin, and HbA1c levels. However, high-quality trials are needed to approve our results.