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Randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid in topical treatment of eczema

Authors Gandy J, Snyman, van Rensburg

Published 8 September 2011 Volume 2011:4 Pages 145—148

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S23110

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Justin J Gandy, Jacques R Snyman, Constance EJ van Rensburg
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) in the treatment of eczema in patients two years and older.
Methods: In this single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study, 36 volunteers with predetermined eczema were randomly assigned to receive either the study drug or placebo twice daily for four weeks.
Results: All safety parameters remained within normal limits, with no significant differences in either group. Significant differences were observed for both severity and erythema in the placebo and CHD-FA treated groups, and a significant difference was observed for scaling in the placebo-treated group. With regard to the investigator assessment of global response to treatment, a significant improvement was observed in the CHD-FA group when compared with the placebo group. A statistically significant decrease in visual analog scale score was observed in both groups, when comparing the baseline with the final results.
Conclusion: CHD-FA was well tolerated, with no difference in reported side effects other than a short-lived burning sensation on application. CHD-FA significantly improved some aspects of eczema. Investigator assessment of global response to treatment with CHD-FA was significantly better than that with emollient therapy alone. The results of this small exploratory study suggest that CHD-FA warrants further investigation in the treatment of eczema.

Keywords: fulvic acid, eczema, anti-inflammatory, efficacy, safety

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