Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed that shallomin, the active antimicrobial constituent of Persian shallot, has a wide range of antibacterial and antifungal properties. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical shallomin alcoholic solution in treatment of cold sore. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 60 volunteers who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to two equal groups to hourly apply topical of either 0.5% shallomin alcoholic solution or placebo within the first 24 hours of developing cold sores. All the cases were reassessed at six-hour intervals. RESULTS: The cold sores were cleared within six hours among 30% of cases who received shallomin solution and the remaining of the cases in this group were cleared between 6six to 24 hours of application. In the placebo group, clearance of the sores occurred in four cases between 48 to 72 hours and the remaining of cases were cleared after 72 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated that shallomin is a useful natural remedy in preventing the progression and treatment of cold sores and can significantly reduce the duration of ulceration.