The efficacy of topical Marham-e-Akbar in chronic atopic dermatitis – an open-label interventional study
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Shaikh Imran
,
Nazim Husain
,
Mohd Qudrathullah Khan
Abstract
Objectives
Chronic atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin condition marked by intense pruritus, dry skin, and severe impact on the life quality of the patients. Conventionally, it is managed by using emollients, calcineurin inhibitors, and topical corticosteroids. In Unani medicine, eminent scholars advocated many drug formulations including topical Marham-e-Akbar for effective healing of AD but scientific evidence is scarce. Hence, this study was designed.
Methods
This was a single-arm clinical trial conducted on 30 participants aged 18–65 years suffering from chronic AD after obtaining written informed consent. The trial intervention was Marham-e-Akbar consisting of Murdār Sang (Plumbi oxidum); Sindūr (red lead); olive oil (Olea europaea oil); Kath (Acacia catechu extract); Safeda Kāshgari (Zinc oxide); Sirka (vinegar); and Phitkirī (alum) to be applied twice daily for 42 days. The objective parameters were SCORAD and DLQI, while the subjective parameters included itching, scaling, and erythema assessed on a customized VAS scale and 4-point Likert scale.
Results
The pre-post analysis inferred statistically significant attenuation in subjective parameters (itching, scaling, and erythema) and objective scales (SCORAD) and (DLQI) with p<0.001.
Conclusions
The study findings deduced that Marham-e-Akbar is effective in the amelioration of chronic atopic dermatitis and quality of life of the patients as well.
Acknowledgments
Authors are thankful to the management of Luqman Unani Medical College, Bijapur, Karnataka, India for providing financial support in execution of this trial.
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Research funding: Luqman Unani Medical College, Bijapur, Karnataka, India.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: This study was initiated only after ethical approval by the Institutional Ethics Committee (Ref. No. BJP/LUMC/PG/IEC/04/2018–19/MOALIJAT/03) and registration with Clinical Trial Registry-India (CTRI/2020/03/024360).
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Reviews
- Genotype-based chemotherapy for patients with gastrointestinal tumors: focus on oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and fluoropyrimidines
- Factors influencing methotrexate and methotrexate polyglutamate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review of population pharmacokinetics
- Original Articles
- Predicting drug–drug interactions by electrochemically driven cytochrome P450 3A4 reactions
- Evaluation of the stability of furosemide in tablet form during six-month storage in spaceflight and peculiarities of its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics under conditions of anti-orthostatic hypokinesia
- CYP450 2D6 and 2C19 genotypes in ADHD: not related with treatment resistance but with over-representation of 2C19 ultra-metabolizers
- The markers of the organic acidemias and their ratios in healthy neonates in Serbian population
- Kolaviron ameliorates chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced anxiety and depression: involvement of the HPA axis, antioxidant defense system, cholinergic, and BDNF signaling
- The efficacy of topical Marham-e-Akbar in chronic atopic dermatitis – an open-label interventional study
- In vitro metabolic biomodulation of irinotecan to increase potency and reduce dose-limiting toxicity by inhibition of SN-38 glucuronide formation
- Datura stramonium abrogates depression- and anxiety-like disorders in mice: possible involvement of monoaminergic pathways in its antidepressant activity
- Synergistic anti-cancer effects of Nigella sativa seed oil and conventional cytotoxic agent against human breast cancer
- Short Communication
- MTHFR c.665C>T guided fluoropyrimidine therapy in cancer: gender-dependent effect on dose requirements
