Effects of a Standardised Saffron Extract Supplementation on Symptoms Associated With Perimenopause in Healthy Women

April 15, 2026 updated by: Dr. Amjad Khan, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences

Investigation of the Psychological and Physiological Effects of a Standardised Saffron Extract Supplementation on Symptoms Associated to Perimenopause in Healthy Older Women: A Randomised Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-group Clinical Trial

The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of a normalised saffron extract supplementation, which is an extract of the flower Crocus sativus, on perimenopausal symptoms.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

After being informed about the study protocol aim and potential risks, healthy volunteer woman (walk-in outpatients) will undergo a pre-screening to determine eligibility for study entry. At the visit 1, patients who meet the pre-screening criteria will undergo a second screening to confirm their eligibility based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. After signing the inform consent form, patient who meet eligibility criteria will be randomised in a double-blind manner (participants and investigators) in a 1:1 ratio to saffron extract supplementation (15mg, twice daily) or matched placebo (twice daily) for a period of 3-months (12 weeks).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
104

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Sindh
      • Jāmshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, 76060
        • Department of Biochemistry, LUMHS

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Biological Female which identify themselves as Women
  • Aged ≥ 40 years
  • Irregular menstrual cycle for at least 3 months
  • Presenting typical symptoms of perimenopause with GCS score over 20
  • BMI range between 18-35 kg/m2
  • Healthy woman

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Less than 40 years old
  • Pregnant
  • Diagnosed with diseases related to reproductive system such as PCOS or endometriosis
  • Taking anti-depressant medication or sleeping pills
  • Taking hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)
  • Taking conventional drug treatment or dietary supplementation
  • Having medical history or medical/surgical event in the last 6 months, or has been treated for cancer or any other ongoing treatment for the past 3 months,
  • Current and/or past history of hyper/hypotension, CVD, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, musculoskeletal disorder or endocrine or immunocompromised or neurological or psychological disorders,
  • Being medicated for these conditions,
  • History of allergic reactions to saffron intake,
  • Decisionally challenged subjects or unable to comply to the study
  • Any conditions that could contraindicates the use of saffron
  • Currently smoking or ceased smoking in the past 3 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Saffron extract supplementation (15mg, twice daily)
The experimental group will take a single capsule containing: 15mg of of saffron extract (stigma of the flower Crocus sativus), 340mg of Maltodextrin, encapsulated in hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), twice daily (one morning and one evening after the meal).
Dietary supplement: Safr'Inside supplement (Activ'Inside, SAS)
Dietary supplementation will be taken in addition to habitual diet of the patients
Placebo Comparator: Control group
The Control group will take a single placebo capsule (matched to the experimental intervention in terms of colours and taste, without the active compounds saffron) twice daily (one morning and one evening after the meal).
Other: Plcebo
Placebo capsule (matched to the experimental intervention in terms of colours and taste, without the active compounds saffron)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Effect on overall perimenopause clinical symptoms severity
Time Frame: 6-weeks, 12-weeks
Changes in Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS) score
6-weeks, 12-weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Effect on sleep quality
Time Frame: 6-weeks, 12-weeks
Changes in Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) score
6-weeks, 12-weeks
Effect on mood
Time Frame: 6-weeks, 12-weeks
Changes in Profile of Mood State (POMS) score
6-weeks, 12-weeks
Effect on quality of life
Time Frame: 6-weeks, 12-weeks
Changes in Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score
6-weeks, 12-weeks
Exploratory measures
Time Frame: 12-weeks
Changes in fasting plasma glucose level
12-weeks
Exploratory measures
Time Frame: 12-weeks
Changes in gut microbiome (16S RNA Seq)
12-weeks
Exploratory measures
Time Frame: 12-weeks
Changes in FSH levels
12-weeks
Exploratory measures
Time Frame: 12-weeks
Changes in LH levels
12-weeks
Exploratory measures
Time Frame: 12-weeks
Changes in TSH levels
12-weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of East Anglia
Activ'inside

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 20, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 10, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 17, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 25, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 29, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • LUMHS/REC/-221

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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