Contact Dermatitis With the Homoeopathic Medicine Calendula officinalis:A Rare Case Report

Introduction:Herbal medicines and other traditional medicines are well accepted in India and are readily available as over-the-counter preparations.With their increased use,the safety and quality of homoeopathic medicines have become a major concern for health authorities,pharmaceutical industries,and consumers.It is difficult to assess the adverse effects of homoeopathic medicines due to a lack of scientific evidence regarding their safety and efficacy in clinical trials or post-marketing surveillance.Here,we reported a patient with contact dermatitis due to the homoeopathic medicine Calendula officinalis.Case presentation:A 33-year-old previously healthy woman presented with pruritus,redness,and swelling over the entire face and upper neck.The symptoms developed within about 1 hour after the use of a homoeopathic skin ointment containing 2%Calendula officinalis as the major ingredient in an aqueous base.Cutaneous examination revealed periorbital edema and facial swelling with multiple vesicular eruptions over erythematous edematous plaques on the face.A clinical diagnosis of contact dermatitis was considered.Discussion:Many herbal preparations in India are available without safety data.Calendula officinalis extract(oil expressed from seeds)is used in various skin products.The exact allergens present in Calendula officinalis are unknown,but the flowers reportedly contain a variety of phenolic acids and phenylpropanoids that have elicited contact dermatitis.Conclusion:Anecdotal case reports of accidental exposure/sensitization and experimental studies provide sufficient evidence to confirm the causal relationship between contact dermatitis with Calendula Officinalis.Postmarketing surveillance of all homoeopathic medicines should be mandatory,and the availability of such preparations as over-the-counter drugs must be restricted.

In vitro anti-leishmanial activity of methanolic extracts of Calendula officinalis flowers, Datura stramonium seeds, and Salvia officinalis leaves

AIM: The anti-leishmanial activity of methanolic extracts of Calendula officinalis flowers, Datura stramonium seeds, and Salvia officinalis leaves against extracellular(promastigote) and intracellular(amastigote) forms of Leishmania major were evaluated in this study. METHOD: In the first stage, promastigote forms of L. major, were treated with different doses of the plant extracts in a 96-well tissue-culture microplate and IC50 values for each extract were measured with colorimetric MTT assay. In the second stage, macrophage cells were infected with L. major promastigotes. Infected macrophages were treated with plant extracts. Then the macrophages were stained with Gimsa and the number of infected macrophages and amastigotes were counted with a light microscope. RESULTS: The results indicated that the plant extracts inhibited the growth of promastigotes and amastigotes of L. major. Inhibitory concentrations(IC50) for promastigote assay were 108.19, 155.15, and 184.32 μg·mL-1 for C. officinalis flowers, D. stramonium seeds and S. officinalis, respectively. The extracts also reduced the number of amastigotes in macrophage cells from 264 for control group to 88, 97, and 102 for test groups. Although the anti-leishmanial activity of the extracts were not comparable with the standard drug, miltefosine; but they showed significant efficiency in reducing the number of amastigotes in macrophages, in comparison with the control group(P < 0.001). These plant extracts had lower toxicity compared with miltefosine. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the potential efficacy of the methanolic extracts of C. officinalis flowers, D. stramonium seeds, and S. officinalis leaves to control of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Fifty-year of Global Research in Calendula Officinalis L.(1971−2021):A Bibliometric Study

Background:Calendula officinalis L.(Compositae)is a Mediterranean annual plant widely used for its versatile biological activities.Objective:A bibliometric study of research data conducted from 1971 to 2021 was conducted.Methods:Bibliographic data was retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer and MS Excel.Polynomial regression was used to assess the annual production of research documents related to C.officinalis.Results:A total of 1,252 journal articles and conference papers were published by 4,452 authors,originated from 98 countries and disseminated in 706 sources.Iran(n=131),Brazil(n=119),India(n=113),Poland(n=112),and Italy(n=72)are the top-publishing countries.Journal of Ethnopharmacology is the top-cited journal,while Italy is the top-cited country.Steady growth was observed in the last fifty years,from 1971 to 2021.The anti-inflammatory,wound-healing,and anti-microbial properties are among the most prolific studies that have been conducted on this plant.Extensive research has been carried out on antioxidant compounds,terpenes,and volatile oils.Skin care and wound healing are the most common clinical applications.Co-citation analysis,keywords co-occurrence,and bibliographic coupling revealed diverse knowledge structures and intellectual dynamics.Conclusion:This comprehensive bibliometric study indicates that Calendula officinalis received significant re-search.The structured information may help understand research trends and locate this plant’s research hot spots and gaps.

Use of calendula cream balm to medicate the feet of diabetic patients:Case series

Introduction:Different products are used on the foot injuries of diabetic patients with more or less effective results.Calendula officinalis,which is used for its effective antihaemorrhagic properties,also known to the ancient Romans,who used it directly on injuries,is used as a topical anti-inflammatory,healing,and antiseptic treatment,although this is scarcely documented.There is no study in the literature to demonstrate the effectiveness of calendula cream in the prevention and cure of foot injuries on diabetic patients.Case presentation:Bio Calendula,Dr.Theiss,cream balm by Naturwaren was recommended to 4 patients diagnosed with diabetes and various injuries(micro traumas)on their lower and upper limbs,which showed all the signs and symptoms of ongoing infection:lesions with pus,swollen,red edges,localised heat,and pain.The cream was to be applied twice daily,after cleansing with very mild soaps or bath&shower gel,and warm water,WITHOUT rubbing the cleanser onto the limbs.The cream was to be applied with a gentle massage,until fully absorbed,WITHOUT covering the injuries.It is well known that incorrect treatment to even small foot injuries on diabetic patients can lead to serious complications,including infections that can in turn lead to amputation.Conclusion:As shown in the photographs taken over different periods during the use of the cream balm,the results are excellent;the healing process is easy to see and the progress of the infection process has been blocked,reducing itching,redness,pain,dryness,the disappearance of various scars,regrowth of hair on the legs,no intolerance and great patient satisfaction.Observational studies of RCTs(Random Trial Controls)could help clinics in understanding whether or not this cream is suitable for injured limbs to prevent the worsening of the infection which would in turn lead to suffering for the patient and increased healthcare costs.

Development of a PCR-based method to monitor arthropod dispersal in agroecosystems:Macrolophus pygmaeus(Hemiptera:Miridae)from banker plants to tomato crops

Development of conservation biological control programs requires the identifi-cation of sources that contribute to predator colonization of crops.Macrolophus pygmaeus(Rambur)(Hemiptera:Miridae)is an efficient polyphagous predator used in biological con-trol programs in vegetable crops in Europe.We have developed a marking method based on spraying with a solution of the brine shrimp Artemia spp.(Anostraca:Artemidac)cysts,followed by a PCR detection of Artemia DNA to monitor M.pygmaeus dispersal from banker plants to tomato crops.Experiments conducted in climatic chambers show that the topical application of this marking solution on M.pygmaeus does not significantly reduce adult longevity and that it is detected up to 6 d after the application.When this Artemia solution was applied on Calendula officinalis L.banker plants harboring M.pygmaeus and maintained outdoors,Artemia DNA was still detected on 62%of the insects after6 d.The conducted field applications in commercial greenhouses have confirmed the usefulness of this method to monitor M.pygmaeus dispersal from banker plants to a newly planted tomato crop.This method can be used to assess arthropod movement,being an interesting molecular approach for further improving future pest management strategies.