Natural Polyphenols for Acne Vulgaris: Clinical Evidence and Biological Mechanisms

Abstract

| Acne vulgaris (acne for short) inflicts virtually all teenagers and young adults and is the number one most common skin disease globally. It is an inflammatory disease causing tremendous esthetical and phycological burden. Although conventional medical therapy can be effective in treating acne, drugs, especially those requiring a prescription, can cause many adverse effects. This leads to the increasing use of natural compound-based modalities, including polyphenols, in the management of acne. Polyphenols, present in large quantities in fruits, vegetables, and green tea, exert diverse biological effects, including antiinflammatory and antibacterial activities. Among the natural polyphenols, resveratrol from grapes, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea, have recently been shown to be effective in treating inflammatory acnes. Cosmeceutical products containing resveratrol or EGCG are emerging natural remedies for treating acne patients without causing noticeable adverse effects. This mini-review summarizes recent research findings on the clinical efficacy and biological mechanisms of resveratrol and EGCG in treating inflammatory acne.

Biotechnological Potential of Cephalaria uralensis (Murray) Roem. & Schult. and C. gigantea (Ledeb.) Bobrov—Comparative Analysis of Plant Anatomy and the Content of Biologically Active Substances

“…Such substances as flavonoids and phenolic acids have numerous applications in the treatment of several human diseases, e.g., neoplasms [ 48 ], neurodegenerative disorders [ 49 ], cardiovascular diseases [ 50 ], and arthritis [ 51 ]. The compounds were found to be very efficient to combat acne and other skin problems caused by microbial infections, i.e., diseases that are very difficult to treat due to the low repertoire of adequate antibiotics [ 52 ]. Therefore, the present characterization of the C. uralensis and C. gigantea species, which have never been described in terms of their anatomy, histology, and cytology in relation to the content of bioactive substances in individual organs, extends the knowledge of the medicinal values of these plants, and fits in with the trend in the search of new species with medicinal applications.…”