The study of the pharmacological activity of a cream with a white willow bark extract on the model of contact non-allergic dermatitis

Abstract

Despite the achievements of medicine, dermatological skin diseases are an urgent problem today as the incidence rate increases annually. A promising direction of modern pharmacotherapy of dermatoses is the creation of innovative etiotropic topical agents on a plant basis. Aim. To study the pharmacological activity of a combined cream with a white willow (Salix alba L.) bark extract and zinc perithionate under the conditional name “Pyrisalix” against the background of the experimental non-allergic dermatitis induced by turpentine oil. Materials and methods. As the study object, a cream made with the active substances of a thick extract of white willow bark and zinc perithionate on a cream base was used; it corresponded to the pharmacotechnological indicators by colloidal, thermal stability and the description of oil/water (20 % of the oil phase). The model of alternative chronic inflammation, non-allergic contact dermatitis, was induced in white non-linear rats by daily application of turpentine oil to the depilated area. The effectiveness of the “Pyrisalix” cream was evaluated based on the total leukocyte count, the peripheral blood leukocyte composition, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), including the leukocyte-ESR ratio index (LI-ESR), the skinfold thickness, and the skin cover condition. In our experiment, the phagocytic activity of granulocytic neutrophils in a leukocyte suspension obtained from heparinized blood was determined to assess the activity of nonspecific immune factors. Results. The emulsion base of the cream has been determined, according to which the product developed has thermal and colloidal stability. In the course of studying the pharmacological activity of the “Pyrisalix” cream on themodel of non-allergic skin inflammation based on the dynamics of local manifestations of contact dermatitis, hematological, and immunological parameters, it has been found that the “Pyrisalix” cream has a pronounced preventive and therapeutic effect due to its anti-inflammatory and immunological properties. In the experimental conditions, the anti-alterative action of the cream on the emulsion oil/water base studied was equal to or even significantly exceeded the activity of the reference drugs – “Fladex” ointment and “Psorikap” cream by the intensity of inhibition of inflammatory processes in the skin, reduction in total leukocyte count, and normalization of the functional activity of granulocytic neutrophils. Conclusions. The combined cream “Pyrisalix” on the emulsion oil/water base demonstrates a significant antiinflammatory activity on the model of non-allergic contact dermatitis. The combined cream “Pyrisalix” is a promising agent for further study in the treatment of dermatoses.