Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is often used in women's health care to treat dysmenorrhea, increase the milk supply, and address symptoms of menopause. The object of this review is to evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy of fennel for the management menopausal symptoms. METHODS AND ANALYSES: Thirteen databases will be searched from their inception to the present. These include PubMed, AMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, six Korean medical databases (Korean Studies Information Service System, DBPIA, the Korean Institute of Science and Technology Information, the Research Information Service System, KoreaMed, and the Korean National Assembly Library), and 3 Chinese databases (the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database [CNKI], the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database [VIP], and Wanfang Database). Study selection, data extraction, and assessments will be performed independently by 2 researchers. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required, given that this protocol is for a systematic review only. The review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to inform and guide healthcare practice and policy. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018085698.