Is There a Place for Local Natural Treatment of Psoriasis?

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Apitherapy is the medical use of honey bee products (honey, propolis, royal jelly, bee wax, and bee venom) to relieve human ailments, propolis in particularly, rich in essential oils such as flavonoid. Propolis is derived from tree buds and plants. It is considered as one of the most well-documented products from the honeybee and has always played an important role in traditional folk medicine. Another renowned plant is Aloe vera appertaining to the Liliaceae family. Its mucilaginous gel has been extensively used in many cultures for its apparent effectiveness in treating wounds, burns, itchiness and hair loss.AIM:The aim was to assess the efficacy of a mixture in an ointment form of propolis (50%) and aloe vera (3%), in the treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis.METHODS:In this double-blind control study, 2248 patients with both mild to moderate cases of psoriasis were evaluated from 2012 to 2015.RESULTS:In Group 1 the overall response at the end of 12 weeks was as follows: Cleared in 64.4% (excellent response), good response in 22.2%, and weak response in 5.6% and no response in 7.7%. In Group 2 (placebo group) no significant improvement was observed after 12 weeks of treatment. Also, histology also demonstrated a marked reduction in hyperkeratosis and acanthosis.CONCLUSION:In comparison with Group 2 (placebo group) patients in Group 1, treated with a mixture of propolis (50%) and aloe vera (3%), in the form of an ointment have shown noteworthy improvement thus substantiating the therapeutic value of propolis and aloe vera in the treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis.

Influence of phytochemicals in induced psoriasis (Review)

“…This compound has been widely used in clinical trials, with promising antipsoriatic effects. A preclinical study on a mouse tail model of psoriasis used an ethanolic extract of Aloe vera gel which had significant positive effects on psoriatic skin (differentiation with orthokeratosis), comparable to those of tazarotene applications (42)(43)(44).…”

Efficacy of Adding Oral Simvastatin to Topical Therapy for Treatment of Psoriasis: The Vietnamese Experience

“…This study showed that the PASI score decreased significantly in both groups; however, the reduction in the PASI score was greater in patients who received simvastatin [23], which agrees with our results. Also, a study reported by Wolkenstein et al disclosed that there was a decreased risk of psoriasis associated with the use of oral statins [24], [25], [26], [27].…”

Effectiveness, Safety and Tolerance of Methotrexate in Vietnamese Psoriatic Arthritis Patients

“…Based upon our and published experiences, MTX is effective and affordable in psoriatic arthritis, affecting both skin lesions and joint damage. The price is more affordable than many biologic agents [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12].…”