Andean medicinal plants for skin diseases: traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological profile

Skin conditions are considered a severe public health problem. However, conventional medicine based on a single compound fails to provide efficient clinical responses and low-cost drugs without side effects to various dermatological pathologies. The Andes possess one of the most pronounced flora biodiversity in the world, being a vast home of secondary metabolites active against different diseases. Thus, this literature review explores the ethnobotanical knowledge of Andean medicinal plants, both endemic and introduced species, and aims to summarize the findings of research activities for treating skin diseases. The methodology consists of identifying and selecting Andean medicinal plants that meet ethnobotanical studies and pharmacological information criteria. The literature review revealed the ethnobotanical use of 116 plant species belonging to 61 botanical families to treat skin conditions. The most traditionally used families are the Asteraceae (13%), Lamiaceae (7%), Fabaceae (5%), Anacardiaceae (4%) and Poaceae (3%), widely distributed in the Andes. The medicinal plants were primarily prepared through infusions of leaves and were administered topically by the Andean people. The phytochemical studies revealed that the main classes of active secondary metabolites were phenolic compounds and terpenes. Besides the pharmacological studies of Andean medicinal plants and their herbal formulations showed enhanced biological properties, which are relevant for treating and preventing skin conditions but also for skin care.Las afecciones cutáneas son consideradas un grave problema de salud pública. Sin embargo, la medicina convencional no consigue dar respuestas clínicas eficientes ni fármacos de bajo coste sin efectos secundarios a varias patologías dermatológicas. Los Andes poseen una de las biodiversidades de flora más pronunciadas del mundo, siendo un vasto hogar de metabolitos secundarios activos contra diferentes enfermedades. Así, esta revisión bibliográfica explora el conocimiento etnobotánico de las plantas medicinales andinas, tanto de las especies endémicas como de las introducidas, y pretende resumir los hallazgos de las actividades de investigación para el tratamiento de las enfermedades de la piel. La metodología consiste en identificar y seleccionar las plantas medicinales andinas que cumplen los criterios de contar con estudios etnobotánicos e información farmacológica. La revisión bibliográfica reveló el uso etnobotánico de 116 especies de plantas pertenecientes a 61 familias botánicas para tratar afecciones de la piel. Las familias más utilizadas tradicionalmente son las Asteraceae (13%), Lamiaceae (7%), Fabaceae (5%), Anacardiaceae (4%) y Poaceae (3%), ampliamente distribuidas en los Andes. Las plantas medicinales andinas se preparaban principalmente mediante infusiones de hojas y eran administradas comúnmente por vía tópica. Según estudios fitoquímicos reportados, las principales clases de metabolitos secundarios activos son los compuestos fenólicos y los terpenos. Además, los estudios farmacológicos de las plantas medicinales andinas y sus formulaciones herbales revelaron potenciales propiedades biológicas para el tratamiento y la prevención de afecciones cutáneas.Químico/

Essential oils and their individual components in cosmetic products

The current consumer demands together with the international regulations have pushed the cosmetic industry to seek new active ingredients from natural renewable sources for manufacturing more eco-sustainability and safe products, with botanical extract being an almost unlimited source of these new actives. Essential oils (EOs) emerge as very common natural ingredients in cosmetics and toiletries as a result of both their odorous character for the design and manufacturing of fragrances and perfumes, and the many beneficial properties of their individual components (EOCs), e.g., anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and, nowadays, the cosmetic industry includes EOs or different mixtures of their individual components (EOCs), either as active ingredients or as preservatives, in various product ranges (e.g., moisturizers, lotions and cleanser in skin care cosmetics; conditioners, masks or antidandruff products in hair care products; lipsticks, or fragrances in perfumery). However, the unique chemical profile of each individual essential oil is associated with different benefits, and hence it is difficult to generalize their potential applications in cosmetics and toiletries, which often require the effort of formulators in seeking suitable mixtures of EOs or EOCs for obtaining specific benefits in the final products. This work presents an updated review of the available literature related to the most recent advances in the application of EOs and EOCs in the manufacturing of cosmetic products. Furthermore, some specific aspects related to the safety of EOs and EOCs in cosmetics will be discussed. It is expected that the information contained in this comprehensive review can be exploited by formulators in the design and optimization of cosmetic formulations containing botanical extracts.Fil: Guzmán, Eduardo. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Lucia, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Centro de Investigación de Sanidad Vegetal; Argentin

The anti-inflammation and skin-moisturizing effects of Boehmeria tricuspis-mediated biosynthesized gold nanoparticles in human keratinocytes

Introduction: Recently, nanotechnology has emerged as a potential technique for skin generation, which has several treatment advantages, such as decreased drug cytotoxicity and enhanced skin penetration. Boehmeria tricuspis (BT) belongs to the Urticaceae family and is rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds. In this study, we biosynthesized gold nanoparticles (BT-AuNPs) using BT extract to explore their anti-inflammatory and skin-moisturizing properties in keratinocytes.Methods: Field-emission transmission electron microscopy, energydispersive X-ray spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier-transforminfrared spectroscopy were used to examine the synthesized BT-AuNPs. qRT-PCR, western blot, and ELISA were applied for investigating the effect of BT-AuNPs on anti-inflammation and moisturizing activity in HaCaT cells.Results: At concentrations below 200 μg/mL, BT-AuNPs had no cytotoxic effect on keratinocytes. BT-AuNPs dramatically alleviated the expression and secretion of inflammatory chemokines/cytokine, such as IL-6, IL-8, TARC, CTACK, and RANTES in keratinocytes stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-α/interferon-γ (T + I). These anti-inflammatory properties of BT-AuNPs were regulated by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways. Furthermore, BT-AuNPs greatly promoted hyaluronic acid (HA) production by enhancing the expression of hyaluronic acid synthase genes (HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3) and suppressing the expression of hyaluronidase genes (HYAL1 and HYAL2) in HaCaT cells.Discussion: These results suggest that BT-AuNPs can be used as a promising therapeutic alternative for treating skin inflammation. Our findings provide a potential platform for the use of BT-AuNPs as candidates for treating inflammatory skin diseases and promoting skin health

In Vitro Anti-Wrinkle and Skin-Moisturizing Effects of Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Sprout and Identification of Its Active Components

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Oenothera biennis sprout extract (OBS-E) on skin-function improvement in an in vitro system and to identify its pharmaceutically active components. OBS-E showed antioxidant ability in radical scavenging and reducing power assays, significantly inhibited matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -2, and increased the production of type I collagen, indicating its anti-wrinkle activity. Furthermore, OBS-E significantly increased the level of hyaluronic acid (HA) and the expression of moisturizing genes, such as hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2) and aquaporin 3 (AQP3), indicating it is effective in enhancing skin hydration. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses showed that OBS-E contained high levels of polyphenolic acids, such as gallic acid and ellagic acid, in addition to flavonoid glycosides, such as luteolin 7-glucuronide and quercetin 3-glucuronide. Our results suggest that these major phytochemicals are likely to play crucial roles in the expression of antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, and moisturizing activities of OBS-E.</jats:p

In Vitro Anti-Wrinkle and Skin-Moisturizing Effects of Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Sprout and Identification of Its Active Components

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Oenothera biennis sprout extract (OBS-E) on skin-function improvement in an in vitro system and to identify its pharmaceutically active components. OBS-E showed antioxidant ability in radical scavenging and reducing power assays, significantly inhibited matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -2, and increased the production of type I collagen, indicating its anti-wrinkle activity. Furthermore, OBS-E significantly increased the level of hyaluronic acid (HA) and the expression of moisturizing genes, such as hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2) and aquaporin 3 (AQP3), indicating it is effective in enhancing skin hydration. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analyses showed that OBS-E contained high levels of polyphenolic acids, such as gallic acid and ellagic acid, in addition to flavonoid glycosides, such as luteolin 7-glucuronide and quercetin 3-glucuronide. Our results suggest that these major phytochemicals are likely to play crucial roles in the expression of antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, and moisturizing activities of OBS-E