Review Article

The Efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Female Infertility

Table 2

Summary of randomized studies of the effect of CHM on infertility outcomes.

Study IDDesignSample sizeInterventionsOutcomesCompositionLimitation

97RCT150Treatment arm: group B : CC + Zhushi Tiaojing Cuyun formula
control arm: group A : CC;
group C : CC + aspirin
Treatment arm: PR, group B: 52% [26 of 50]
control arm: PR, group A: 18.0% [9 of 50]
PR, group C: 32.0% [16 of 50]
Zhushi Tiaojing Cuyun formula:
radix codonopsis (Dang Shen), astragalus root (huang Qi), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Morinda officinalis (Ba Ji Tian), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Raspberry (fu Pen Zi), Photinia leaf (Shi Nan Ye), acorus tatarinowii (Shi Chang Pu), Salvia (Dan Shen), Safflower (hong Hua), Human placenta powder (Zi He Che Fen), Citrus (Chen Pi)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate

98RCT80Treatment arm: Bushen Peiyuan Yanggong decoction + estrogen + progesterone
control arm: estrogen + progesterone
Treatment arm: PR, 57.50% [23 of 40]
control arm: PR, 37.50% [15 of 40]
Bushen Peiyuan Yanggong decoction:
astragalus (Huang Qi), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Cyathula root (Chuan Niu Xi), Fructus Lycii (Gou Qi Zi), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Danshen root (Dan Shen), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), roasted liquorice (Zhi Gan Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

100RCT120Treatment arm: Yuyin Ling + clomiphene
control arm: clomiphene
Treatment arm: PR, 46.7% [28 of 60]
control arm: PR, 20.0% [12 of 60]
Yuyin Ling : 
Yam (Shan Yao), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Chinese herbaceous peony (Shao Yao), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Eucommia (Du zhong), Placenta (Zi he che), Cyperus (Xiang fu), Danshen root (Dan shen), achyranthes bidentata (huai niu xi), Tortoise shell (Gui jia), Bupleurum (Chai hu)
Modifications:
Severe phlegm dampness: Add Citrus (Chen pi), acorus tatarinowii (Shi chang pu)
Severe blood stasis: Add Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan xiong), Trogopterus dung (Wu ling zhi), Angelica sinensis (Dang gui)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate

102RCT76Treatment arms: Huoxue Quyu formula + ciprofloxacin
control arms: ciprofloxacin
Treatment arm: PR, 39.5% [15 of 38]
control arm: PR, 18.4% [7 of 38]
Huoxue Quyu formula:
Red peony (Chi Shao), Dried ginger rhizome (Gan Jiang), Peach kernel (Tao Ren), Safflower (hong Hua), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), Tree peony bark (Dan Pi), Fennel (Xiao Hui Xiang), Radix aucklandiae (Mu Xiang), Herba Patriniae (Bai Jiang Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

103RCT80Treatment arm: Wenjing Tongluo decoction + Tubal hydrotubation
control arm: Tubal hydrotubation
Treatment arm: PR, 67.5% [27 of 40]
control arm: PR, 40% [16 of 40]
Wenjing Tongluo Decoction:
Evodia rutaecarpa (Wu Zhu Yu), White peony root (Bai Shao), Dwarf lilyturf (Mai Dong), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), cassia twig (Gui Zhi), Moutan (Mu Dan Pi), hide gelatin (E Jiao), Ginger (Sheng Jiang), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Pinellia ternate (Ban Xia), Licorice (Gan Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

106RCT56Treatment arm: Bushen Culuan Decoction
control arm: estradiol valerate tablets/estradiol cyproterone tablets (clement) +clomiphene
There was no significant difference in outcomes of PR between two groupsBushen Culuan Decoction:
Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Ligustrum (Nv Zhen Zi), Medlar (Gou Qi Zi), Mistletoe (Sang Ji Sheng), Radix dipsaci (Xu Duan), cyathula root (Chuan Niu Xi), Red peony (Chi Shao), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Lycopus lucidus (Ze Lan), Danshen root (Dan Shen), Rhizoma cyperi (Xiang Fu), Cattail pollen (Pu Huang)
Not mentioned blindness
Small sample size

107RCT80Treatment arm: self-designed Bushen huoxue decoction + ethinylestradiol cyproterone tablets + clomiphene citrate capsules
control arm: ethinylestradiol cyproterone tablets + clomiphene citrate capsules
Treatment arm: PR, 85% [34 of 40]
control arm: PR, 65% [26 of 40]
Self-designed Bushen huoxue Decoction:
Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), Danshen root (Dan shen), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Dried radix rehmanniae (Sheng Di Huang), Red peony (Chi shao), Ligustrum (Nv Zhen Zi), Eclipta (Mo Han Lian), Cyathula root (Chuan Niu Xi), Morinda officinalis (Ba Ji Tian), Herba leonuri (Yi Mu Cao), Safflower (hong Hua), Bupleurum (Chai Hu), Licorice (Gan Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

108RCT80Treatment arm: Shugan Jianpi formula + bromocriptine
control arm: bromocriptine
Treatment arm: PR, 42.5% [17 of 40]
control arm: PR, 17.5% [7 of 40]
Shugan Jianpi formula:
bupleurum (Chai Hu), raw malt (Sheng Mai Ya), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), White peony root (Bai Shao), Indian bread (Fu Ling), atractylodes (Bai Zhu), achyranthes bidentata (Niu Xi), Licorice (Gan Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

109Multicenter double-blind
placebo parallel controlled RCT
202Treatment arm:
①Before ovulation: Huoxue Xiaoyi granule;
②After ovulation: Bushen Zhuyun granule
control arm: Placebo treatment
Treatment arm: PR, 44.6% [45 of 101] LBR, 34.7% [35 of 101]
control arm: PR, 29.7% [30 of 101]
LBR,20.8% [21 of 101]
Huoxue Xiaoyi granule:
radix bupleuri (Chai Hu), Cyperus (Xiang Fu), Salvia Miltiorrhizae (Dan Shen), Rhizoma Curcuma (Jiang Huang), Radix Paeoniaerubra (Shaoyao)
Bushen Zhuyun Granule:
Radix Bupleuri (Chai Hu), Indian bread (Fu Ling), Ligustrum lucidum (Nv Zhen Zi), Eclipta (Mo Han Lian), Rhizoma atractylodes (Bai Zhu) Radix dipsaci (Xu Duan)

110RCT62Treatment arm: Bushen Yangjing granule + letrozole
control arm: compound packaging of estradiol tablets/estradiol and progesterone tablets + letrozole
Treatment arm: PR, 67.7% [21 of 31]
control arm: PR, 35.5% [11 of 31]
Bushen Yangjing granule:
prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), White peony root (Bai Shao), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Fructus Lycii (Gou Qi Zi), Semen plantaginis (Che Qian Zi), the fruit of Chinese magnoliavine (Wu Wei Zi), Fructus rubi (Fu Pen Zi), Cyathula root (Chuan Niu Xi), Cyperus (Xiang Fu), Fried Fructus aurantia (Chao Zhi Qiao), Radix codonopsis (Dang Shen), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), Salty anemarrhena asphodeloides (Yan Zhi Mu), Herba leonuri (Yi Mu Cao)
Modifications:
Postmenopausal: Add the amount of Dodder (Tu si zi), and add fallopia multiflora (He Shou Wu), remove Herba leonuri (Yi Mu Cao)
Intermenstrual period: Add Morinda officinalis (Ba Ji Tian), The seed of cowherb (Wang Bu Liu Xing), Liquidambar formosana hance (Lu Lu Tong);
Premenopausal: Add amethyst (Zi Shi Ying), Radix dipsaci (Xu Duan);
Menstrual period: Add Semen persicae (Tao Ren), Safflower (Hong Hua)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

112RCT60Treatment arm: Bushen huoxue formula
control arm: oral estradiol valerate
Treatment arm: PR, 47.7% [14 of 30]
control arm: PR, 20.0% [6 of 30]
Bushen huoxue formula:
Bupleurum (Chai Hu), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Raspberry (fu Pen Zi), Curculigo orchioides (Xian Mao), Psoralea (Bu Gu Zhi), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Rhizoma Dioscoreae (Shan Yao), Indian bread (Fu Ling), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), Cyperus (Xiang Fu), Dwarf lilyturf (Mai Dong), Roasted liquorice (Zhi Gan Cao), Parched hawthorn fruit (Jiao Shan Zha)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

113RCT120Treatment arm: Bushen Quyu decoction + laparoscopic surgery, and then gestrinone treatment
control arm: laparoscopic surgery, and then gestrinone treatment
Treatment arm: PR, 68.3% [41 of 60]
control arm: PR, 43.3% [26 of 60]
Bushen Quyu decoction:
polygonatum (Huang Jing), fallopia multiflora (He Shou Wu), Yam (Shan Yao), Epimedium (Yin Yang Huo), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Ligusticum wallichii (Chuan Xiong), Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Citrus (Chen Pi), Moutan (Dan Pi), Placenta (Zi He Che), Sliced deerhorn (Lu Jiao Pian)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate

114RCT70Treatment arm: Jinlinzi powder + sini powder + conventional western medicine
control arm: conventional western medicine
Treatment arm: PR, 82.86% [29 of 35]
control arm: PR, 60% [21 of 35]
Jinlinzi powder + Sini powder:
Jinlingzi, Bupleurum (Chai Hu), Radix aucklandiae (Mu Xiang), White peony root (Bai Shao), fruit of citron or trifoliate orange (Zhi Shi), Corydalis tuber (Yan Hu Suo), Inner layer of cinnamon (Gui Xin), Roasted liquorice (Zhi Gan Cao)
Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
small sample size

115RCT60Treatment arm: Jianpi Bushen Zhuluan formula + letrozole
control arm: letrozole
Treatment arm: PR, 56.7% [17 of 30]
control arm: PR, 30% [9 of 30]
Jianpi Bushen Zhuluan formula: Dodder (Tu Si Zi), Radix codonopsis (Dang Shen), Dried radix rehmanniae (Sheng Di Huang), Yam (Shan Yao), prepared rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), Lotus fruit (Lian Zi Rou), Radix scutellariae (Huang Qin), Radix glehniae (Bei Sha Shen), Dendrobe (Shi Hu), polygonatum (huang jing), rose (Mei Gui Hua), Sargentodoxa cuneata (Hong Teng), Citrus (Chen Pi), Tangerine leaf (Ju Ye)Not mentioned blindness and drop-out rate
Small sample size

Note: RCT: randomized clinical trial; PR: pregnancy rate; LBR: live birth rate. < 0.05 versus treatment arm.