The Effect of Herbal Medicinal Products on Psoriasis-Like Keratinocytes

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the epidermis. New biological drugs were developed for the systemic treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. However, products for the topical treatment of mild psoriasis are still required. Here, we examined the effect of natural compounds on psoriasis-like keratinocytes in vitro and ex vivo. Psoriasis-like keratinocytes were generated by treating human primary keratinocytes with the psoriasis-associated cytokines IL-17A, TNF-alpha and IL-22. Initially, 10 botanical extracts from Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Northern American traditional medicine and Occidental Monastic Medicine were investigated using BrdU assays and IL-6 and IL-8 ELISAs. Curcuma amada, Humulus lupulus and Hypericum perforatum turned out to be the most effective plant extracts. In vitro, the plant extracts inhibited the expression of anti-microbial peptides (beta-defensin 2), the hyperproliferation marker keratin 17, the glucose transporter 1 and downregulated the nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B and pSTAT3. In an ex vivo psoriasis model, Humulus lupulus displayed the most prominent anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effect. In conclusion, among the plant extracts investigated, Humulus lupulus showed the most promising anti-psoriatic effect. It is an interesting candidate for topical psoriasis treatment that should be further studied in clinical trials.

Automated summary

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the epidermis. New biological drugs have been developed for systemic treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis, but there is still a need for topical treatment of mild psoriasis. In this study, natural compounds were examined for their effects on psoriasis-like keratinocytes, with Curcuma amada, Humulus lupulus, and Hypericum perforatum showing the most promising results in inhibiting the expression of certain markers associated with psoriasis. Among these plant extracts, Humulus lupulus demonstrated the most prominent anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effect in an ex vivo psoriasis model, suggesting its potential as a candidate for further research in clinical trials as a topical treatment for psoriasis.