Natural Sources of Therapeutic Agents Used in Skin Conditions

Life (Basel). 2024 Apr 10;14(4):492. doi: 10.3390/life14040492.

Abstract

Skin conditions are numerous and often have a major impact on patients' quality of life, and effective and safe treatment is very important. The conventional drugs used for skin diseases are usually corticosteroids and antimicrobial products that can induce various side effects, especially with long-term use, which is why researchers are studying alternatives, especially biologically active natural products. Three products caught our attention: bee venom (BV), due to reported experimental results showing anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antimycotic, and anticancer effects, Ficus carica (FC) due to its demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory action, and finally Geranium essential oil (GEO), with proven antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Following a review of the literature, we produced this paper, which presents a review of the potential therapeutic applications of the three products in combating various skin conditions and for skin care, because BV, FC, and GEO have common pharmacological actions (anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant). We also focused on studying the safety of the topical use of BV, FC, and GEO, and new approaches to this. This paper presents the use of these natural therapeutic agents to treat patients with conditions such as vitiligo, melasma, and melanoma, as well as their use in treating dermatological conditions in patients with diabetes.

Keywords: Ficus carica; Geranium essential oil; acne; alopecia; atopic dermatitis; bee venom; psoriasis; wounds.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding. The present study was academically supported by the “Dunarea de Jos” University in Galaţi, Romania, through the Research Center—MIC-DIR Integrated Multidisciplinary Center for Dermatological Interface Research (CIM-CID), and all the persons included in this section have consented to the acknowledgment. The APC was paid by “Dunarea de Jos” University, 800010 Galati, Romania; Strada Domneasca 47, Galati, 800008 Romania. VAT-RO27232142.