Objective: To assess the efficacy of Huangshukuihua (Flos Abelmoschi Manihot) on diabetic nephropathy (DN).
Methods: Articles were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Database, and Wanfang Database. Two reviewers independently reviewed the article. Only randomized controlled trials were included and 27 were identified involving 2239 patients (1143 in the treatment group and 1096 in the control group).
Results: Huangshukuihua (Flos Abelmoschi Manihot) had a significant effect on renal function by improving blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, reducing urine protein (24-h urine protein, and urinary albumin excretion rate), and improving serum albumin level, compared with the control group.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, although the bioactive ingredients and mechanism underlying renal protection are unknown, the role of Huangshukuihua (Flos Abelmoschi Manihot) in the treatment of DN deserves further investigation.