Background: Acne vulgaris is a common chronic disorder of the pilosebaceous unit. Topical therapy is the mainstay of treatment for mild-to-moderate acne. Two main problems with conventional anti-acne treatments are antibiotic resistance and local side effects. In this regard, medicinal herbs could be an alternative choice for developing new products with fewer side effects. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a topical formulation of cinnamon in patients with facial acne. Method: In this open-label, assessor-blind, and uncontrolled clinical trial, 20 patients (18F/2M) with mild-to-moderate facial acne were treated with topical cinnamon gel twice-daily for eight weeks. The outcomes of acne lesion count, red fluorescence parameters and skin biophysical profile were evaluated at baseline, 4 th and 8 th week. For safety assessment, any adverse drug reaction was recorded during the study. Results: Two months after using cinnamon gel, there was a significant reduction in the total (47%, p=0.000), inflammatory (42%, p=0.026), and non-inflammatory (48%, p=0.002) lesion count. Also, the size of red fluorescence spots was significantly reduced (p ≤0.05). In skin biophysical measurement, there was a significant decrease in erythema (61.31 ± 68.25), sebum (31.05 ± 36.15), and hydration (10.05 ± 10.16), as well as a significant increase in pH (0.63 ± 0.75). Some patients experienced mild, transient erythema and burning immediately after applying the gel, but no serious side effects were reported. Conclusion: Our results suggest that topicalcinnamongel is efficient and safe for the treatment of mild-to-moderate facial acne. IRCT registration code: IRCT2016031126938N3

Background: Plaque psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Conventional treatments of psoriasis are not completely effective. In addition, unwanted side effects limit their long-term use. In this regard, developing new natural treatments with fewer side effects could be an alternative option. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical chamomile-pumpkin oleogel (ChP) in treating plaque psoriasis. Methods: A total of 40 patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis were enrolled in this intra-patient, double-blind, block-randomized clinical trial. In each patient, bilateral symmetrical plaques were treated with ChP or placebo twice daily for four weeks. For clinical assessment, the Psoriasis Severity Index (PSI) and the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) scale were evaluated at baseline and after the treatment. At the end of the study, patients' satisfaction with the treatment was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10. For safety assessment, all treatment-related side effects were recorded. Results: Thirty-seven subjects (20 female, 17 male; age 20–60 years) completed the study. The mean decreases in the PSI score in the ChP group (4.09 +/- 2.24) were significantly (p = 0.000) greater than the placebo group (0.48 +/- 1.39). According to the PGA results, 13/37 (35%) of the ChP-treated plaques could achieve marked to complete improvement compared to 0% in the placebo group. Three patients dropped out from the study due to worsening of bilateral plaques during the first week of trial. Conclusion: Our results suggest that topically applied ChP could provide a safe and effective complementary option for psoriasis plaque management. IRCT registration code: IRCT2016092830030N1.

Introduction Vitiligo pathogenesis is complicated, and several possibilities were suggested. However, it is well-known that the metabolism of pigments plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of the disease. Objectives We explored the role of amino acids in vitiligo using targeted metabolomics. Methods The amino acid profile was studied in plasma using liquid chromatography. First, 22 amino acids were derivatized and precisely determined. Next, the concentrations of the amino acids and the molar ratios were calculated in 31 patients and 34 healthy individuals. Results The differential concentrations of amino acids were analyzed and eight amino acids, i.e., cysteine, arginine, lysine, ornithine, proline, glutamic acid, histidine, and glycine were observed differentially. The ratios of cysteine, glutamic acid, and proline increased significantly in Vitiligo patients, whereas arginine, lysine, ornithine, glycine, and histidine decreased significantly compared to healthy individuals. Considering the percentage of skin area, we also showed that glutamic acid significantly has a higher amount in patients with less than 25% involvement compared to others. Finally, cysteine and lysine are considered promising candidates for diagnosing and developing the disorder with high accuracy (0.96). Conclusion The findings are consistent with the previously illustrated mechanism of Vitiligo, such as production deficiency in melanin and an increase in immune activity and oxidative stress. Furthermore, new evidence was provided by using amino acids profile toward the pathogenicity of the disorder.