For Health Professionals
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Chamomilla Recutita
Skin integrity is ensured by the physiological processes of repairing damaged tissues. The repair process has 4 phases: Homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, remodeling. Phyto-therapeutic agents are widely used in skin repair. Aloe vera and chamomile are also included in these. Skin wounds are damages due to trauma, tears, cuts, and bruises. The repair of the wounds is a physiological process that provides skin integrity and repairs damaged tissues.
Terpenoids and flavonoids in the dried leaves of chamomile provide its medical properties. Chamomile extract or the extract obtained by boiling is used in the wound repairs. Recent studies show that the chamomile repairs wounds faster than cortisone.
Glucose oxidase (hydrogen peroxide), xanthine-oxidase/hypoxanthine (superoxide anion radical) and cumene hydroperoxide (peroxyl radical) injection caused skin inflammation in rats. Apigenin 7 of glucocide injection inhibited the skin inflammation caused by xanthine-oxidase and cumene hydroperoxide. It has been observed that the antioxidant effects of apigenin 7 glycoside contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects.
M. chamomilla plant belongs to the Asteraceae family, the plant is used and it contains antioxidants such as alpha bisabolol and apigenin. It was observed that TEWL was reduced when the skin was treated with an emulsion (w/o) of M. chamomilla hydroalcoholic extract for 8 weeks. Since the increase in TEWL indicates cracking in the stratum corneum and the loss of intercellular lipids, this formulation probably repairs the stratum corneum and improves the moisture content of the human skin. Also, the mechanical properties of the skin are improved, i.e. the firmness level and scaling decreases. This plant contains flavonoids such as terpenes, polysaccharides and alpha bisabolol and apigenin.
The antioxidants contained in plants are phytoantoxidants. They are divided as polyphenols and terpenes. Polyphenols are flavonoids (such as catechin, quercetin) and stilbans (resveratrol). Terpenes are carotenoids (lycopene, beta-carotene) and essential oils (carnosol, carnosic acid).
There are three types of bioactive in many phyto-extracts. These are polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids. All of them show antioxidant and UV protective effect.
Usually, emulsions (w/o) are used to dermatologically treat the dry skin.
Since botanical extracts are also antioxidants, they show synergistic effect, since there are many bioactive ingredients in phyto-extracts, creams containing extracts are more effective and have fewer side effects compared to creams containing only a special antioxidant. C.officinalis and M.camomilla have been successfully used in cream formulations with their antioxidant effects.
Chamomilla flower contains phenytoin (phenolic compounds) such as apigenin. The methanolic extract of Matricaria chamomilla shows a significant antibacterial effect against S. aureus compared to E. coli. Ethanolic extract shows more positive results. The antioxidant effect was also observed in the concentrations in the study.
Water and ethanol extracts of Matricaria flower are generally used for their anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and spasmolytic properties.