Acne rosacea is a bacterial infection normally of the face, neck and shoulders caused primarily of two strains of bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidemidis. This skin disorder effects most teenagers at some point and begins to diminish in frequency and severity as they age into adulthood. Several medications for acne have harmful side-effects, which is pushing researchers to discover alternative treatments. Plants used in traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, have shown promise as viable acne treatments.
Ayurvedic Medications for Acne
A study published in the February 2008 issue of "Expert review of Dermatology" investigated the safety and efficacy of a variety of Ayurvedic medications including Sookshma Triphala, Thiostanin, Sunder Vati and Amalakimashi Vati on the treatment of acne. The researchers compared the actions of these traditional medications to the effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide and found that each was successful for the treatment of P. acnes and S. epidemidis. The study concluded that the Ayurvedic medications used in this study were safe and effective alternative treatments for acne.
Facial Cream
A facial cream composed of Rawvolfia serpentina, Curcuma longa and Azadiracta indica is an effective herbal formulation for acne treatment, according to research published in the August 2011 issue of "Pharmaceutical Biology." The authors report the development of a gel that was not irritating, stable and possessed antibacterial activities. The study concluded the combination of these medicinal herbs were an effective alternative for acne treatment.
Coscinium fenestratum
A study appearing in the February 2007 issue of "Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research" tested the antimicrobial effects of alcoholic extracts derived from roots of Tinospora cordyfolia, Euphorbia hirta. Tephrosia purpurea and Hemidesmus indicus, the fruit of Eclipta alba, the stems of Coscinium fenestratum, the seeds Pongamia pinnata and Curcubito pepo, and the flower of Jasminum officinale. The authors reported that all of the tested samples were effective for inhibiting the growth of P. acnes and S. epidemidis. The study concluded that C. Fenestratum had the greatest antimicrobial effect.
eLibrary of Natural Products
Researchers recently developed an electronic library of natural products from Ayurvedic medicine, together with molecular structural information, plant origin and traditional therapeutic uses, according to an article in the February 2011 issue of "Molecular Informatics." Additionally, the authors compared the molecular formulas and structures of these products to current pharmaceuticals in the hope of future drug development. The authors concluded that their library will provide the identification of previously unknown compounds derived from Ayurvedic plants.
References
- "Molecular Informatics"; Back to the Roots: Prediction of Biologically Active Natural Products from Ayurveda Traditional Medicine; H. Polur, et al.; February 2011
- "Pharmaceutical Biology"; Formulation and Comparative Evaluation of Poly Herbal Anti-Acne Face Wash Gels; A. Rasheed, et al.; August 2011
- "Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research" Antimicrobial Effects of Indian Medicinal Plants against Acne-Inducing Bacteria; G. Kumar, et al.; February 2007
- "Expert Review of Dermatology"; Treatment of Acne with Special Emphasis on Herbal Remedies; A. Kumar, et al; February 2008
