Potential of Indian herbs and herbs derived compounds in the treatment of Acne – A Commonly occurring skin disease: A Review

Abstract

Acne, known as acne vulgaris, is said to be a recurrent disease related to the skin that becomes visible and the blockage of hair follicles becomes irresistible with skin cells that are supposed to be dead, bacteria, and sebum or oil. Hypersecretion of sebum in disrupted follicles can be considered for the pathogenesis of acne which leads to the formation of microcomedones. Inflammation occurs as the cause of hyperproliferation insisted by the follicles of microcomedones and comedones in both closed and open types. Then the appearance of pustules, papules, cysts, and nodules was observed. The aforementioned state of the skin with sebum or oil confinement is said to be a predisposed condition to the anaerobic growth of C. acnes. Various synthetic drugs are available for the treatment of acne but they are responsible for several adverse effects and show resistance of C. acnes to the available antibiotics. Plant parts or plant-derived compounds are traditionally used in the treatment of acne in India. Even today also a large section of the Indian population is using herbs to cure acne. So, the herbal agents derived from nature, have received considerable interest as they show hardly any detrimental effect and are cost-effective. This article aims to enumerate the role of a few Indian herbs such as Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, etc. in the treatment of acne.