Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fatigue is one of the major health conditions induced by excessive stress or abnormal immune function or defective antioxidant systems. Placental extract has been reported to have various effects such as immune modulation and cellular regeneration. Fermented porcine placenta (FPP) is a safe nontoxic material, which is highly valuable as a functional food. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-fatigue effects of FPP supplementation compared with a placebo product. METHODS: In this double-blind, parallel, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial 84 healthy males and females, aged between 30 and 60 years were randomized to 320 mg of FPP once daily or placebo. The main outcome measures included efficacy of fatigue-inducing treadmill exercise on physical fatigue and fatigue-related parameters based on the questionnaire administered. RESULTS: The IL-1β mRNA expression and fatigue severity scale were changed significantly after 8 weeks of treatment with fermented porcine placenta compared with placebo (p < 0.05). Cortisol levels were significantly improved in participants younger than 45 years following treatment with FPP compared with placebo. Furthermore, the lactate and myoglobin levels were improved significantly in participants with BMI ≥ 23 kg/m(2) (p = 0.045 and p = 0.011, respectively) following treatment with FPP versus placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that FPP supplementation significantly ameliorated fatigue-related parameters and subjective symptoms in healthy adults. Therefore, our results indicate that FPP supplementation induced anti-fatigue effect by regulating the inflammatory response.