Abstract
Background: A common health condition among older persons is xerosis cutis. Topical corticosteroid treatments are associated with side effects. There is an unmet need for herbal treatment alternatives. Coccinia grandis, Clerodendrum inerme and Acanthus ebracteatus are used to treat skin conditions in Thai traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, synergistic properties as well as their cytotoxicity. Methods: Ethanolic herbal extracts were used to perform minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays on common skin pathogens. Synergistic antimicrobial activity was evaluated by a chequerboard assay. Antioxidant and synergistic properties were assessed by a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Cytotoxicity was tested on normal adult human primary epidermal keratinocytes. Results: All extracts showed an inhibitory effect on growth of all microorganisms tested. MIC and MBC values ranged from 0.0625 to 32 mg/mL and from 0.0625 to >256 mg/mL, respectively. A. ebracteatus extract markedly demonstrated bactericidal activity against an methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain. Additive antimicrobial activity was observed (fractional inhibitory concentration index values: 0.75–1). All extracts possessed antioxidant properties (IC<sub>50</sub> values: 0.12–0.25 mg/L). However, antagonism was observed with paired extract combinations (combination index values: 1.025–1.455). The cell viability assay confirmed that herbal extracts were not cytotoxic. Conclusions: Our results provide early findings of pharmacological activities to support a novel choice of herbal combinations as potential local skin treatment options for xerosis cutis.
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