***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Snacking is an uncontrolled eating behavior , predisposing weight gain and obesity . It primarily affects the female population and is frequently associated with stress . We hypothesized that oral supplementation with Satiereal ( Inoreal Ltd , Plerin , France ) , a novel extract of saffron stigma , may reduce snacking and enhance satiety through its suggested mood-improving effect , and thus contribute to weight loss . Healthy , mildly overweight women ( N = 60 ) participated in this r and omized , placebo-controlled , double-blind study that evaluated the efficacy of Satiereal supplementation on body weight changes over an 8-week period . Snacking frequency , the main secondary variable , was assessed by daily self-recording of episodes by the subjects in a nutrition diary . Twice a day , enrolled subjects consumed 1 capsule of Satiereal ( 176.5 mg extract per day ( n = 31 ) or a matching placebo ( n = 29 ) . Caloric intake was left unrestricted during the study . At baseline , both groups were homogeneous for age , body weight , and snacking frequency . Satiereal caused a significantly greater body weight reduction than placebo after 8 weeks ( P < .01 ) . The mean snacking frequency was significantly decreased in the Satiereal group as compared with the placebo group ( P < .05 ) . Other anthropometric dimensions and vital signs remained almost unchanged in both groups . No subject withdrawal attributable to a product effect was reported throughout the trial , suggesting a good tolerability to Satiereal . Our results indicate that Satiereal consumption produces a reduction of snacking and creates a satiating effect that could contribute to body weight loss . The combination of an adequate diet with Satiereal supplementation might help subjects engaged in a weight loss program in achieving their objective Objectives . In a previous r and omized clinical trial ( Falsini et al. ( 2010 ) ) , it was shown that short-term Saffron supplementation improves retinal flicker sensitivity in early age-related macular degeneration ( AMD ) . The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the observed functional benefits from Saffron supplementation may extend over a longer follow-up duration . Design . Longitudinal , interventional open-label study . Setting . Outpatient ophthalmology setting . Participants . Twenty-nine early AMD patients ( age range : 55–85 years ) with a baseline visual acuity > 0.3 . Intervention . Saffron oral supplementation ( 20 mg/day ) over an average period of treatment of 14 ( ±2 ) months . Measurements . Clinical examination and focal-electroretinogram-(fERG- ) derived macular ( 18 ° ) flicker sensitivity estimate ( Falsini et al. ( 2010 ) ) every three months over a followup of 14 ( ±2 ) months . Retinal sensitivity , the reciprocal value of the estimated fERG amplitude threshold , was the main outcome measure . Results . After three months of supplementation , mean fERG sensitivity improved by 0.3 log units compared to baseline values ( P < 0.01 ) , and mean visual acuity improved by two Snellen lines compared to baseline values ( 0.75 to 0.9 , P < 0.01 ) . These changes remained stable over the follow-up period . Conclusion . These results indicate that in early AMD  Saffron supplementation induces macular function improvements from baseline that are extended over a long-term followup Background The morbidity and mortality associated with depression are considerable and continue to increase . Depression currently ranks fourth among the major causes of disability worldwide , after lower respiratory infections , prenatal conditions , and HIV/AIDS . Crocus sativus L. is used to treat depression . Many medicinal plants textbooks refer to this indication whereas there is no evidence -based document . Our objective was to compare the efficacy of stigmas of Crocus sativus ( saffron ) with imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in a 6-week pilot double-blind r and omized trial . Methods Thirty adult out patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , 4th edition for major depression based on the structured clinical interview for DSM IV participated in the trial . Patients have a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of at least 18 . In this double-blind , single-center trial , patients were r and omly assigned to receive capsule of saffron 30 mg/day ( TDS ) ( Group 1 ) and capsule of imipramine 100 mg/day ( TDS ) ( Group 2 ) for a 6-week study . Results Saffron at this dose was found to be effective similar to imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression ( F = 2.91 , d.f . = 1 , P = 0.09 ) . In the imipramine group anticholinergic effects such as dry mouth and also sedation were observed more often that was predictable . Conclusion The main overall finding from this study is that saffron may be of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of mild to moderate depression . To the best of our knowledge this is the first clinical trial that supports this indication for saffron . A large-scale trial with placebo control is warranted Our objective was to examine the effect of an Iranian herbal drug in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea . A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled pilot trial among 180 female students at Isfahan University dormitory aged 18 to 27 who suffered from primary dysmenorrhea was undertaken . The participants were r and omly divided into three groups : herbal drug , mefenamic acid , and placebo . The herbal drug group was given 500 mg of highly purified saffron , celery seed , and anise ( SCA ) extracts three times a day for three days , starting from the onset of bleeding or pain . Participants were followed for two to three cycles from the beginning of menstruation through the three days of bleeding . Main outcome measures were the severity and duration of pain at 2 and 3 months . A visual analogue scale was used to record pain . There were statistically significant reductions in pain scores and pain duration scores in the groups that took SCA ( P < . 001 ) and mefenamic acid ( P < . 01 ) . The decrease in pain score was reflected by a significant reduction in other drug use among the treatment groups compared with the women in the placebo group . The magnitude of the reduction was significantly greater in the SCA group than in the mefenamic acid and placebo groups . Both drugs effectively relieved menstrual pain as compared with the placebo . More clinical trials are needed to establish the efficacy of this herbal drug Depressive disorders are very common in clinical practice , with approximately 11.3 of all adults afflicted during any a year . Saffron is the world 's most expensive spice and apart from its traditional value as a food additive , recent studies indicate several therapeutic effects for saffron . It is used for depression in Persian traditional medicine . Our objective was to compare the efficacy of hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus ( stigma ) with fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in a 6-week double-blind , r and omized trial . Forty adult out patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition for major depression based on the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV and with mild to moderate depression participated in the trial . In this double-blind , single-center trial and r and omized trial , patients were r and omly assigned to receive capsules of saffron 30 mg/day ( BD ) ( Group 1 ) and capsule of fluoxetine 20 mg/day ( BD ) ( Group 2 ) for a 6-week study . Saffron at this dose was found to be effective similar to  fluoxetine  in the treatment of mild to moderate depression ( F = 0.13 , d.f . = 1 , P = 0.71 ) . There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side effects . The results of this study indicate the efficacy of Crocus sativus in the treatment of mild to moderate depression . A large-scale trial is justified Depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric conditions , with a lifetime prevalence approaching 17 % . Although a variety of pharmaceutical agents is available for the treatment of depression , psychiatrists find that many patients can not tolerate the side effects , do not respond adequately , or finally lose their response . On the other h and , many herbs with psychotropic effects have far fewer side effects . They can provide an alternative treatment or be used to enhance the effect of conventional antidepressants . A number of recent pre clinical and clinical studies indicate that stigma and petal of Crocus sativus have antidepressant effect . Our objective was to compare the efficacy of petal of C. sativus with fluoxetine in the treatment of depressed out patients in an 8-week pilot double-blind r and omized trial . Forty adult out patients who met the DSM- IV criteria for major depression based on the structured clinical interview for DSM- IV participated in the trial . Patients have a baseline Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score of at least 18 . In this double-blind and r and omized trial , patients were r and omly assigned to receive capsule of petal of C. sativus 15 mg bid ( morning and evening ) ( Group 1 ) and fluoxetine 10 mg bid ( morning and evening ) ( Group 2 ) for a 8-week study . At the end of trial , petal of C. sativus was found to be effective similar to fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression ( F=0.03 , d.f.=1 , P=0.84 ) . In addition , in the both treatments , the remission rate was 25 % . There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side effects . The present study is supportive of other studies which show antidepressant effect of C. sativus Background To determine whether the functional effects of oral supplementation with Saffron , a natural compound that proved to be neuroprotective in early age-related macular degeneration , are influenced by complement factor H ( CFH ) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 ( ARMS2 ) risk genotypes . Methods Thirty-three early AMD patients , screened for CFH ( rs1061170 ) and ARMS2 ( rs10490924 ) polymorphisms and receiving Saffron oral supplementation ( 20 mg/day ) over an average period of treatment of 11 months ( range , 6–12 ) , were longitudinally evaluated by clinical examination and focal electroretinogram (fERG)-derived macular ( 18 ° ) flicker sensitivity estimate . fERG amplitude and macular sensitivity , the reciprocal value of the estimated fERG amplitude threshold , were the main outcome measures . Results After three months of supplementation , mean fERG amplitude and fERG sensitivity improved significantly when compared to baseline values ( p < 0.01 ) . These changes were stable throughout the follow-up period . No significant differences in clinical and fERG improvements were observed across different CFH or ARMS2 genotypes . Conclusions The present results indicate that the functional effect of Saffron supplementation in individual AMD patients is not related to the major risk genotypes of disease Rationale Saffron ( Crocus sativus L. ) has shown aphrodisiac effects in some animal and human studies . Objectives To assess the efficacy and tolerability of saffron in fluoxetine-related sexual dysfunction . Methods This was a 4-week r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled study . Thirty-six married male patients with major depressive disorder whose depressive symptoms had been stabilized on fluoxetine and had subjective complaints of sexual impairment entered the study . The patients were r and omly assigned to saffron ( 15 mg twice per day ) or placebo for 4 weeks . International Index of Erectile Function scale was used to assess sexual function at baseline and weeks 2 and 4 . Results Thirty patients finished the study . Baseline characteristics as well as baseline and final depressive symptoms scores were similar between the two groups . Effect of time × treatment interaction on the total score was significant [ Greenhouse – Geisser-corrected , F ( 1.444 , 40.434 ) = 6.154 , P = 0.009 ] . By week 4 , saffron result ed in significantly greater improvement in erectile function ( P < 0.001 ) and intercourse satisfaction domains ( P = 0.001 ) , and total scores ( P < 0.001 ) than the placebo group . Effect of saffron did not differ significantly from that of  placebo in orgasmic function ( P = 0.095 ) , overall satisfaction ( P = 0.334 ) , and sexual desire ( P = 0.517 ) domains scores . Nine patients ( 60 % ) in the saffron group and one patient ( 7 % ) in the placebo group achieved normal erectile function ( score > 25 on erectile function domain ) at the end of the study ( P value of Fisher ’s exact test = 0.005 ) . Frequency of side effects were similar between the two groups . Conclusions Saffron is a tolerable and efficacious treatment for fluoxetine-related erectile dysfunction INTRODUCTION We conducted this study to determine the effects of saffron ( Crocus sativus ) on the results of semen analysis in men with idiopathic infertility . MATERIAL S AND METHODS In this clinical trial , 52 nonsmoker infertile men whose problem could not be solved surgically were enrolled . They were treated by saffron for 3 months . Saffron , 50 mg , was solved in drinking milk and administered 3 times a week during the study course . Semen analysis was done before and after the treatment and the results were compared . RESULTS The mean percentage of sperm with normal morphology was 26.50 
    Output:
    
The data from these studies support the efficacy of saffron as compared to placebo in improving the following conditions : depressive symptoms ( compared to anti-depressants and placebo ) , premenstrual symptoms , and sexual dysfunction .
In addition , saffron use was also effective in reducing excessive snacking behavior .
CONCLUSION Findings from initial clinical trials suggest that saffron may improve the symptoms and the effects of depression , premenstrual syndrome , sexual dysfunction and infertility , and excessive snacking behaviors .