Plant-Derived Compounds as Promising Therapeutics for Vitiligo

Abstract

Vitiligo is the most common depigmenting disorder characterized by white patches in the skin. The pathogenetic origin of vitiligo revolves around autoimmune destruction of melanocytes in which, for instance, oxidative stress is responsible for melanocyte molecular, organelle dysfunction and melanocyte specific antigen exposure as well as melanocyte cell death and thus serves as an important contributor for vitiligo progression. In recent years, natural products have shown a wide range of pharmacological bioactivities against many skin diseases, and this review focuses on the effects and mechanisms of natural compounds against vitiligo models. It is showed that some natural compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, glycosides and coumarins have a protective role in melanocytes and thereby arrest the depigmentation, and, additionally, Nrf2/HO-1, MAPK, JAK/STAT, cAMP/PKA, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways were reported to be implicated in these protective effects. This review discusses the great potential of plant derived natural products as anti-vitiligo agents, as well as the future directions to explore.

Flavonoids as Promising Natural Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Selected Skin Diseases

“…Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disorder in which the destruction of melanocytes leads to the loss of pigmentation on the skin surface and mucosa, subsequently leading to the gradual expansion of the discolored skin area [ 92 ]. There is strong evidence that oxidative stress is an essential factor in the incidence and progression of vitiligo because it is responsible for melanocyte molecular dysfunction, melanocyte-specific antigen exposure, and melanocyte cell death [ 93 ]. The etiology of this disease is still unclear; much evidence supports the significant impact of oxidative stress on the development of vitiligo.…”

“…Natural compounds could be promising in vitiligo treatment as natural products promote melanin production and prevent it from destruction. The most important activity of natural compounds is their possibility to scavenge free radicals, activate pathways related to melanogenesis, increase tyrosinase gene expression, decrease chemokine and inflammatory cytokine expression, and prevent CD8+ T cell migration [ 93 ].…”

Plants as Modulators of Melanogenesis: Role of Extracts, Pure Compounds and Patented Compositions in Therapy of Pigmentation Disorders

“…Both the effects may be achieved through implementation of plant-derived compounds [ 60 ]. Therefore, these molecules may exert a beneficial therapeutic effect on skin of patients with hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation, including postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, solar lentigines, melasma, café au lait macules, ephelides (freckles) as well as postinflammatory hypopigmentation, vitiligo, pityriasis alba, tinea versicolor [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 ].…”

Vitiligo as a potential degenerative disease: from oxidative stress to cellular senescence

“…Natural chemicals with antioxidant potential can inhibit oxidative stress-induced aging. For example, baicalein is a flavonoid derived from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis with anti-cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects [104,105]. In an H2O2-induced oxidative stress model of PIG1 in vitro, baicalein protected PIG1 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative stress and senescence through a mechanism that involved activation of mitochondria-dependent caspases and regulation of the p38MAPK pathway [106].…”