BACKGROUND/AIMS NOVAponin, a functional health food derived from Dolichos lablab Linne extract improves gastric mucosal injury and increases regeneration and proliferation. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of NOVAponin in individuals with mild functional dyspepsia (FD).

METHODS In this single-center, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 131 patients with FD meeting the Rome IV criteria were enrolled. Changes in the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS), FD-related quality of life (FD-QoL), gastrointestinal symptom (GIS) scores, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers, and adverse effects before and after administration were compared.

RESULTS After 12 weeks of administration, GSRS upper abdominal symptom scores were significantly improved in the test group compared to the control group (-5.30 ± 0.60 vs -2.35 ± 0.56, P < 0.001). GSRS upper abdominal symptom scores (-5.13 ± 0.55 vs -1.92 ± 0.44, P < 0.001), GSRS total scores (-7.02 ± 0.91 vs -3.33 ± 0.73, P < 0.001), GIS total scores (-11.21 ± 0.53 vs -6.65 ± 0.70, P < 0.001) after 6 weeks of administration, GSRS total scores (-7.54 ± 0.94 v. -3.31 ± 0.85, P < 0.001), GIS total scores (-11.90 ± 0.52 vs -7.61 ± 0.73, P < 0.001), and FD-QoL total scores (-11.41 ± 1.75 vs -5.55 ± 1.20, P = 0.007) after 12 weeks of administration also showed significant differences between groups. The differences were slightly more pronounced in epigastric pain syndrome subtypes and in females than the others, although more females were assigned to the test group. There were no significant changes in inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers or adverse reactions.

CONCLUSION NOVAponin significantly improved mild FD symptoms especially in epigastric pain syndrome subtype and in females, and was found to be safe.