The pharmaceutical industry has made great strides in providing drugs that are able to stimulate the healing process, but only 1–3% of all drugs that are listed in Western pharmacopoeias are intended for use on the skin or cutaneous wounds. Of these, at least one-third are obtained from plants. We sought to review the therapeutic effects of medicinal plants on human skin lesions. For this systematic review, we searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify clinical trials that were published from 1997 to 2017. We reviewed studies that described the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of skin lesions in humans. Ten studies were selected, eight of which were published from 2007 to 2016, with a total of 503 patients. Among the plant species that were used for the treatment of human skin lesions, 12 belonged to 11 families and were included in the analysis. All of the plant species that were studied presented high therapeutic potential for the treatment of cutaneous lesions.

This systematic review investigated the evidence for the therapeutic potential of essential oils (EOs) against Leishmania amazonensis. We searched available scientific publications from 2005 to 2019 in the PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases, according to PRISMA statement. The search strategy utilized descriptors and free terms. The EOs effect of 35 species of plants identified in this systematic review study, 45.7% had half of the maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 μg mL−1 and 14.3% had a 10 < IC50μg mL−1 for promastigote forms of L. amazonensis. EOs from Cymbopogon citratus species had the lowest IC50 (1.7 μg mL−1). Among the plant species analyzed for activity against intracellular amastigote forms of L. amazonensis, 39.4% had an IC50 10 < IC50 ⩽ 50 μg mL−1, and 33.3% had an IC50 10 < IC50μg mL−1. Aloysia gratissima EO showed the lowest IC50 (0.16 μg mL−1) for intracellular amastigotes. EOs of Chenopodium ambrosioides, Copaifera martii and Carapa guianensis, administered by the oral route, were effective in reducing parasitic load and lesion volume in L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice. EOs of Bixa orellana and C. ambrosioides were effective when administered intraperitoneally. Most of the studies analyzed in vitro and in vivo for the risk of bias showed moderate methodological quality. These results indicate a stimulus for the development of new phytotherapy drugs for leishmaniasis treatment.

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This clinical case presents a patient with a raised and ulcerative lesion with erythematous edges in the mouth, on the lower lip that was unsuccessfully treated as herpes labialis. Clinical data and laboratory tests (Montenegro skin test, indirect immunofluorescence, direct parasite search and polymerase chain reaction) led to the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) sp. Treatment with pentavalent antimonial (Glucantime®) for 120 days was not effective and administration of amphotericin B for 30 days resulted in wound healing. Glucantime® treatment protocol was longer than the recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in the handbook of mucosal leishmaniasis. This suggests that amphotericin B should have been administered earlier, preventing the psychological and social problems faced by the patient. This study reports a rare clinical case of primary mucosal leishmaniasis on the lip that had a delayed diagnosis, highlighting the precariousness in the management of disease and showing that, despite the importance of leishmaniasis in Brazil, it is still neglected by health professionals.

This study, was to evaluate the acaricidal effect of the essential oil (EO) and fractions (FR) obtained from Laurus nobilis leaves on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Eight fractions were obtained, however FR1: sabinene (37.83%), β-pinene (13.50%), 1,8-cineole (12.66%), α-pinene (12.56%) and FR8: α-terpineol (79.19%) were highlighted as to the larvicidal potential when submitted by Larval Packet Test. The EO was tested by the Adult Immersion Test, at concentrations of 200.00; 100.00 and 50.00 µL/mL caused mortality of engorged females, egg mass reduction and hatching inhibition. Two fractions are shown to be efficient in controlling larvae FR8 (LC 50 =0.13 µL/mL, LC 99 =0.51 µL/mL) and FR1 (LC 50 =0.20 µL/mL, LC 99 =0.56 µL/mL). The fractionation of EO was determinant to elucidate which compounds were responsible for the larvicidal potential. This study opens new perspectives to direct new bioassays with the compounds obtained in the fractionation, since they present high potential on the cattle tick larvae.