Efficacy and Safety of Plumule of Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) as a Sleeping Aid

Abstract

Insomnia is a condition characterized by difficulty in falling or staying asleep, which leads
to various health impairments and impacts daily life. The use of herbal remedies offers an
alternative to pharmaceutical treatments, which often come with side effects. The use of D’bua,
plumule of sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaerth.), herbal remedies for sleep aid lacks sufficient
empirical evidence. This preliminary experimental research aimed to: 1) compare the quality of
sleep of insomnia before and after treatment with D’bua, and 2) study the efficacy and safety of
D’bua in treating insomnia. Fifty volunteers with insomnia who received services at the Thai
Traditional Medicine Clinic, Rattanawapi Hospital, Nong Khai Province, were purposively selected
between August 2023 and December 2023. Outcomes were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep
Quality Index (PSQI). A total score of 5 or less indicates good sleep quality, whereas a score of
more than 5 indicates poor sleep quality. Within-group analysis was performed using paired t-test
statistics. The results showed that the mean sleep quality scores before and after the experiment
were significantly different (p-value < 0.05), with PSQI scores of 15.24 ± 1.19 and 1.82 ± 0.69,
respectively. Additionally, assessment of potential adverse reactions revealed that 98 percent of
volunteers did not experience any adverse reactions following participating in the trial; only one
case reported slight palpitations. This study concludes that the plumule of the sacred lotus can
help alleviate insomnia in patients with minimal side effects in specific individuals and may serve
as an alternative treatment to pharmaceutical drugs or be used in conjunction. However, further
long-term studies, including investigations into the mechanisms of action of the various
phytochemicals in the plumule, are necessary to confirm the effectiveness and safety of using the
plumule for treating insomnia.