Abstract
During the last 30 years, berries have gained great attention as functional food against several risk factors in chronic diseases. The number of related publications on Pubmed rose from 1000 items in 1990 to more than 11,000 in 2019. Despite the fact that a common and clear definition of “berries” is not shared among different scientific areas, the phytochemical pattern of these fruits is mainly characterized by anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols, and tannins, which showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in humans. Skin insults, like wounds, UV rays, and excessive inflammatory responses, may lead to chronic dermatological disorders, conditions often characterized by long-term treatments. The application of berries for skin protection is sustained by long traditional use, but many observations still require a clear pharmacological validation. This review summarizes the scientific evidence, published on EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Scholar, to identify extraction methods, way of administration, dose, and mechanism of action of berries for potential dermatological treatments. Promising in vitro and in vivo evidence of Punica granatum L. and Vitis vinifera L. supports wound healing and photoprotection, while Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. and Vaccinium spp. showed clear immunomodulatory effects. Oral or topical administrations of these berries justify the evaluation of new translational studies to validate their efficacy in humans.
Highlights
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and acts as a physical barrier to prevent the invasion of external pathogens
Research articles were searched for title and abstract using the following search terms: the words “berry” or “berries” or the Latin name or common name or vernacular name of the plant matched with skin, skin inflammation, dermatitis, psoriasis, burn, wound, UV, lymphocyte, CD4, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts
The research was divided by genus, in alphabetical order, and classified in three categories according to the investigated topic: skin inflammation and immunity, UV, and wound healing
Summary
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and acts as a physical barrier to prevent the invasion of external pathogens. From a structural point of view, this organ is divided in two distinct layers—the epidermis, the outermost part, which is formed by differentiating layers of keratinocytes; and the dermis, characterized by fibroblasts and the production of extracellular matrix. Skin lesions are caused by several factors including chronic inflammation, due to infections or autoimmune diseases, UV radiation, and wounds. Beside classical skin injuries, such as infections and wounds, chronic dermatitis is underlined as one of the main challenges of our time due to the relatively recent increase in prevalence all over the world and the necessity of new drugs to treat it.
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