Topical evening primrose oil as a possible therapeutic alternative in children with molluscum contagiosum

Molluscum Contagiosum Virus: Biology and Immune Response

Molluscum contagiosum virus is a poxvirus belonging to the Poxviridae family, which includes Orthopoxvirus, Parapoxvirus, Yantapoxvirus, Molluscipoxvirus, Smallpox virus, Cowpox virus and Monkeypox virus. MCV belongs to the genus Molluscipoxvirus and has a tropism for skin tissue. MCV infects keratinocytes and, after an incubation period of 2 weeks to 6 weeks, causes a breakdown of the skin barrier with the development of papules of variable size depending on the proper functioning of the immune response (both adaptive and acquired). MCV only infects humans and does not cause viraemia. MCV encodes for several inhibitory proteins responsible to circumvent the immune response through different signalling pathways. Individuals who can be infected with MCV are children, immunocompromised individuals such as organ transplant recipients and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected individuals. Current treatments to manage MCV-induced lesions are different and include the use of immunomodulators, which, however, do not provide an effective response.

Vegetable Butters and Oils as Therapeutically and Cosmetically Active Ingredients for Dermal Use: A Review of Clinical Studies

While the chemical composition of vegetable butters and oils has been studied in detail, there is limited knowledge about their mechanisms of action after application on the skin. To understand their dermal effects better, 27 clinical studies evaluating 17 vegetable oils (almond, argan, avocado, borage, coconut, evening primrose, kukui, marula, mustard, neem, olive, rapeseed, sacha inchi, safflower, shea butter, soybean and sunflower oils) were reviewed in this research. The reviewed studies focused on non-affected skin, infant skin, psoriasis, xerosis, UVB-induced erythema, atopic dermatitis, molluscum contagiosum, tungiasis, scars, striae and striae gravidarum. We conclude that in inflammation-affected skin, vegetable oils with a high content of oleic acid, together with the lack of or a low linoleic acid content, may cause additional structural damage of the stratum corneum, while oils high in linoleic acid and saturated fatty acids may express positive effects. Non-affected skin, in contrast, may not react negatively to oils high in oleic acid. However, the frequency and duration of an oil's use must be considered an important factor that may accelerate or enhance the negative effects on the skin's structural integrity.

Phytochemical and Biological Screening of Oenothera Biennis L. Hydroalcoholic Extract

Oenothera biennis L. (OB), also commonly known as evening primrose, belongs to the Onagraceae family and has the best studied biological activity of all the members in the family. In therapy, the most frequently used type of extracts are from the aerial part, which are the fatty oils obtained from the seeds and have a wide range of medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition and biological activity of OB hydroalcoholic extract and to provide directions for the antimicrobial effect, antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic potential against A375 melanoma cell line, and anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory capacity. The main polyphenols and flavonoids identified were gallic acid, caffeic acid, epicatechin, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin and rosmarinic acid. The total phenolic content was 631.496 µgGAE/mL of extract and the antioxidant activity was 7258.67 μmolTrolox/g of extract. The tested extract had a mild bacteriostatic effect on the tested bacterial strains. It was bactericidal only against Candida spp. and S. aureus. In the set of experimental conditions, the OB extract only manifested significant antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity against the A375 human melanoma cell line at the highest tested concentration, namely 60 μg/mL. The migration potential of A375 cells was hampered by the OB extract in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, at the highest tested concentration, the OB extract altered the mitochondrial function in vitro, while reducing the angiogenic reaction, hindering compact tumor formation in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. Moreover, the OB extract elicited an anti-inflammatory effect on the experimental animal model of ear inflammation.