TREATMENT OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS IN CHILDREN WITH BIOAPIFIT® ANTIINFLAMATORY HERBAL OINTMENT - A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this work was development, formulation and testing of new herbal
ointment for the treatment of mild to severe atopic dermatitis in infants and children (4 to 56 months
old) as possible alternative therapy to standard corticosteroids and immunomodulants.
Patients and methods: 50 patients were treated 8 weeks (every four hours) with the ointment
containing the following ingredients: Avena sativa, Nigella sativa, Argania spinosa, Prunus amygdalus,
Daucus carota, Helichrysum italicum, Calendula officinalis, Matricaria chamomilla, Bellis perennis,
Lavandula officinalis, Achillea millefolium,Thymus serpyllum, Salvia officinalis, Symphytum
officinale, Plantago major, Olea europaea, Melaleuca alternifolia, Cera alba, honey, and glycerol. The
severity of the disease prior and after the therapy was assessed by SCORAD index.
Results: The total score before the therapy ranged from 23.1 to 99.4 (66.50±23.43). Among the tested
patients 76%, 20% and 4% had severe, moderate and mild symptoms, respectively. Following the eight
weeks treatment the extent, intensity and subjective symptoms decreased significantly. The total
score decreased more than 20 times compared to the initial values and ranged from 0 to 14
(13.18±4.29). The intensity parameters (swelling, oozing/crusting and scratch marks) as well as
subjective parameters (itch and sleeplessness) disappeared completely following two months therapy.
Conclusion: Two months of the topical treatment with Bioapifit® herbal anti-inflammatory ointment
resulted in complete remission of the symptoms in 56% of the patients while in another 44% of them
only mild symptoms persisted. Such excellent results could be atributed to the ointment’s formulation
containing emollients, strong anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, wound healing and antimicrobial
agents of herbal origin that simultaneously targeted the multiple mechanisms involved in AD
pathogenesis. This ointment could be used as alternative therapy to the topical corticosteroids and
immunomodulants.