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DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1608173
Antipsoriatic potential of Pereskia aculeata Miller leaves
Publication History
Publication Date:
24 October 2017 (online)
Preliminary studies had shown the marked anti-inflammatory potential of Pereskia aculeata leaves [1]. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease which affects 1 – 3% of the world Caucasian population [2], which encouraged the investigation of P. aculeata antipsoriatic potential by the mouse tail test [3]. Topical pharmaceutical formulations (20 mg) containing 6% or 12% of hexane fraction from P. aculeata leaves (HF), vehicle or PsorexTM were topically applied on the tail of Swiss mice (n = 5) and histometric analysis were performed as follows: (1) the total length of the scale region; (2) the length of the granular layer of the scale region; (3) the orthokeratosis degree, which was calculated by the ratio of (2)/(1). ANOVA followed by the Newman-Keuls test was used for statistical analysis (COBEA – Protocol n° 028/2014). The orthokeratosis degree presents high correlation with the antipsoriatic activity on human skin. The naive group and the topical pharmaceutical formulations containing vehicle, HF 6%, HF 12% or PsorexTM showed, respectively, 49.62 ± 3.1, 52.25 ± 4.5, 72.16 ± 3,3***, 78.14 ± 3.1***, and 86.83 ± 2.5*** of orthokeratosis degree (***p < 0.001 vs naive). Photomicrographs of the naïve and treated tissues are shown in Figure 1. Our findings strongly suggested that P. aculeata is endowed with antipsoriatic potential.
This work was supported by the grants from FAPEMIG, CAPES and CNPq.
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