Arctium lappa is a weed used in traditional medicine in the treatment of skin inflammation and digestive tract diseases. Arctium tomentosum is used in folk medicine interchangeably with Arctium lappa and, according to European Medicines Agency (EMA) monography, provides an equal source of Arctii radix (Bardanae radix), despite the small amount of research confirming its activity and chemical composition. The aim of the study was the comparison of the anti-lipoxygenase and the antioxidant activity, scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion (O2•−), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), of 70 % (v/v) ethanolic extracts from the aerial parts and the roots of Arctium lappa and Arctium tomentosum. In the tested extracts, the total polyphenols content and the chemical composition, analyzed with the HPLC–DAD–MSn method, were also compared. The extracts were characterized by strong antioxidant properties, but their ability to inhibit lipoxygenase activity was rather weak. A correlation between the content of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was observed. The extracts from A. lappa plant materials scavenged reactive oxygen species more strongly than the extracts from A. tomentosum plant materials. Moreover, the extracts from A. lappa plant materials were characterized by the statistically significantly higher content of polyphenolic compounds.

Extracts from aerial parts of G. aparine (cleavers) constitute a herbal remedy with monography in British Herbal Pharmacopeia. On the European market, there are several drugs and food supplements consisting of Galium extracts. In folk medicine, cleavers was used topically in Europe, Asia, and the Americas to treat skin diseases. In several remedies, cleavers is also listed as an immunomodulatory active herb influencing the defense response of the human body. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunostimulatory activity and antioxidant potential in vitro of a raw infusion of cleavers and bioactive fractions. The functional activity of lymphocytes in the reaction of the lymphocyte blast transformation (RLBT) method was used for immunomodulatory activity assays and direct scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was chosen for the examination of antioxidant activity. It was shown that both the raw extract and fractions show significant immunostimulatory and scavenging activities. The obtained data partially justify the traditional use of cleavers as topical remedy for skin infections and for wounds.

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Skin disorders of different etiology, such as dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, wounds, burns, and others, are widely spread in the population. In severe cases, they require the topical application of drugs, such as antibiotics, steroids, and calcineurin inhibitors. With milder symptoms, which do not require acute pharmacological interventions, medications, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products of plant material origin are gaining greater popularity among professionals and patients. They are applied in various pharmaceutical forms, such as raw infusions, tinctures, creams, and ointments. Although plant-based formulations have been used by humankind since ancient times, it is often unclear what the mechanisms of the observed beneficial effects are. Recent advances in the contribution of the skin microbiota in maintaining skin homeostasis can shed new light on understanding the activity of topically applied plant-based products. Although the influence of various plants on skin-related ailments are well documented in vivo and in vitro, little is known about the interaction with the network of the skin microbial ecosystem. The review aims to summarize the hitherto scientific data on plant-based topical preparations used in Poland and Ukraine and indicate future directions of the studies respecting recent developments in understanding the etiology of skin diseases. The current knowledge on investigations of interactions of plant materials/extracts with skin microbiome was reviewed for the first time.

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