Effects of cinnamaldehyde on anti-respiratory syncytial virus A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Previous reports found that cinnamaldehyde has effects on anti-respiratory syncytial virus (ARSV). However, their results are still contradictory. Therefore, this study will systematically address the effects of cinnamaldehyde on ARSV. Methods: The following electronic bibliographic databases will be retrieved from their outset to the March 31, 2020: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Technology Periodical Database, China Biology Medicine, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. No language and publication time limitations will be exerted in this study. All relevant case-controlled studies or randomized controlled studies exploring the effects of cinnamaldehyde on ARSV will be included. Study quality of case-controlled studies will be assessed by Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and that of randomized controlled studies will be identified by Cochrane risk of bias tool. All data pooling and analysis will be performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: This study will summarize the up-to-date high-quality evidence to synthesize outcome data on the effects of cinnamaldehyde on ARSV. Conclusion: Findings of this study may provide beneficial evidence for both clinicians and future studies regarding the effects of cinnamaldehyde on ARSV. Systematic review registration: INPLASY202040074.