Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns

1. Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns

2. International Journal of Dermatology • FarzanehDehghani, PhD • Ahmad Merat, PhD • Mohammad Reza Panjehshahin ,PhD • FarhadHandjani,MD

3. Departments of Anatomy • Biochemistry • Pharmacology • Dermatology • Shiraz University of Medical Sciences,

4. Introduction • Warts and corns are among the commonest conditions found in dermatologic clinics and different approaches are employed for their treatment.

5. healing effect of both aqueous and lipid extracts of garlic on warts and corns.

6. Inclusion criteria • no treatment for warts in the previous 2 months prior to the initiation of the study, • failure to respond to conventional treatments in the past, • and willingness to participate in the study.

7. Patients • Twenty-eight patients with 2–96 warts, nine patients with 1–2 corns • Control group • five patients with 7–35 warts

8. both genders • aged between 5 and 62 years

9. Methods

10. Peeled garlic was homogenized in equal weight of water in an electric blender • The lipid soluble fraction was extracted with an equal volume of chloroform: methanol (2 : 1) solution in a shaker for 20 min • After centrifugation at low speed, the two phases were allowed to separate with the cellular residues in the aqueous phase at the bottom of the tube

11. The chloroform : methanol phase and the aqueous phase were concentrated and collected separately • The cellular residues were discarded

12. In the first part of the trial, the aqueous garlic extract was applied twice daily on warts in five patients with 3–5 warts

13. In the second part of the trial, 23 patients with 2–96 warts (all on the hands except for two cases who had plantar warts), and nine patients with 1–2 corns on the feet, were treated by applying the lipid extract twice daily

14. control group • two and three patients with warts and corns, respectively, • were treated with chloroform : methanol (2 : 1) v/v solution alone for a period of 20 days • to rule out any possible effect of the lipid solvent.

15. Results

16. Out of the 42 patients under investigation, five cases received the aqueous garlic extract for 30–40 days • disappearance of small warts and partial improvement of larger warts • Treatment with the aqueous extract of garlic needed a period of more than 2 months to achieve a partial recovery in the patients

17. Twenty-three patients with 2–96 warts, and nine patients with 1–2 corns, were treated by applying the lipid extract • complete recovery was observed in all cases with warts after 1–2 weeks of treatment

18. Seven out of nine patients with corn(s) showed complete recovery while two cases showed marked improvement close to full recovery with no further improvement on continuation of treatment

19. The period for the treatment of corn(s) in this group was between 10 and 20 days

20. In control group flaking of the surface of the warts but with no signs of recovery

21. With the lipid extract, full recovery was achieved in all the patients with warts in 1–2 weeks, and it took 2–3 weeks for full recovery of approximately 80% of the corns

22. for the aqueous extract, the duration of treatment, which only caused a partial recovery, was 1 month for warts and approximately 2 months for corns

23. side-effects

24. appearance of blister(s), redness, burning, and hyperpigmentation of the skin around the application area, which usually disappeared completely in 1–2 weeks. • Zinc oxide ointment was applied to the surrounding normal skin in all cases to prevent possible side-effects.

25. Discussion • Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese sages were aware of the pharmacological effects of garlic and used it for the treatment of various diseases.

26. Avicenna, the great Persian sage and philosopher, had also mentioned the curative effect of fresh garlic on various skin diseases in his Al-Ghannon (Canon) textbook

27. Hypertension • Diabetes • Atherosclerosis • Anticarcinogenic • Antiviral agent • in the treatment of many skin diseases

28. garlic has definite curing effects on warts and corns • whereas both aqueous and lipid extracts of garlic were effective for the treatment of corns and warts, the healing effect of the lipid extract appeared in a shorter time period and resulted in complete cure as compared with the aqueous extract

29. there is a better rate of improvement in younger patients (< 30 years of age)

30. Control group The fat-dissolving nature of the solvent probably caused this flaking on the surface of warts and corns.

31. S-allyl-cysteine • curative properties of garlic,suchas prevention of tumor growth

32. in individuals who had numerous warts, when only 1–2 large warts were treated: the other small warts located in the same area disappeared without applying any garlic extract to them • enhancement of immunological responses elicited by garlic may be responsible.

33. antiviral activity of garlic reduced cellular proliferation of virally infected cells • garlic also exerts its effect through its anti-DNA activity such as idoxuridine : an anti-DNA agents

34. main component responsible for antiviral property : allicin HOW? • chemical reaction with thiol groups of various enzymes, e.g. alcohol dehydrogenase, thioreductase and RNA polymerase.

35. Current treatment for warts • electrocautery, • Cryotherapy • application of keratolytics

36. These approaches are not fully successful, and in some cases warts reappear. • treatment with garlic extract resulted in no recurrence of warts during the follow-up observation period (3–4 months).

37. Removal of corns • surgery, • which is practiced in most clinics, can be painful and costly • Treatment with garlic extract appears to be a more convenient modality

38. Removal of the corn by garlic extract • fibrinolytic effect of garlic • the surrounding fibrin tissue of the corn capsule was lyzed and the capsule was separated from the main tissue

39. chemical interaction of allicin with thiol groups, such as those present in alcoholdehydrogenase and thioredoxin-reductase, participate in the metabolism of cysteine in proteins : • as a cause for destruction of tissues, probably through disrupting the epidermal junction

40. It is uncertain whether one or several mechanisms are involved in and responsible for the curative properties of garlic extract in the treatment of warts and corns, necessitating further investigations to help clarify the exact mechanism(s) of action.