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Herbs with Antidepressant Effects
Published in Scott Mendelson, Herbal Treatment of Major Depression, 2019
Borage oil has long been used as a folk remedy for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Certainly, some of this effect is due to the herb being a uniquely rich source of gamma linolenic acid. This fatty acid serves as substrate for synthesis of anti-inflammatory prostaglandin E that in turn dampens synthesis of TNF-α and other cytokines.6 In this role, Borago officinalis would act not as a pharmacological mechanism, but rather as a nutritional supplement.
Selected Supplements That Support Glycemic Control and Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Published in Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton, Type 2 Diabetes, 2018
Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton
Borage oil (borage is also known as a starflower) is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and can now be found in many other locales. Its flowers and leaves, as well as the oil from its seeds, are used in traditional medicine. Borage seed oil holds GLA.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Published in Donald Rudikoff, Steven R. Cohen, Noah Scheinfeld, Atopic Dermatitis and Eczematous Disorders, 2014
Karen Chernoff, Richie Lin, Steven R. Cohen
Linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid (20:4ω6) are considered essential for maintaining a normal epidermal barrier in the skin. A deficiency of the enzyme δ6-desaturase would explain the abnormalities found. The enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism are thought to be immature in infants, and by 6–11 months of age, when the abnormalities of fatty acid metabolism normalize, clinical recovery occurs (Tollesson et al. 1993). Such normalization of fatty acid levels parallels clinical recovery of infantile seborrheic dermatitis at any age in which it occurs. This may explain why infantile seborrheic dermatitis will resolve spontaneously in time, even without treatment. In addition, clinical improvement was noted when topical borage oil, which is a natural source of γ-linolenic acid, was administered (Tollesson and Frithz 1993). The studies of fatty acid metabolism in adults have been less convincing although some reports do show abnormal composition of fatty acids and triglycerides in adult patients with seborrheic dermatitis (Passi et al. 1991, Ostlere et al. 1996).
Complementary and alternative treatment methods practiced by parents in pediatric cases diagnosed with atopic dermatitis
Published in Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022
Ayşe Akbaş, Zeynep Şengül Emeksiz, Ahu Yorulmaz, Yıldız Hayran, Fadime Kılınç, Halil Ibrahim Yakut, Müge Toyran, Kezban İpek Demir
Oils may be thought to be beneficial in AD with their moisturizing effects. In CAT studies, the use of sunflower, olive oil, coconut oil, black cumin oil, sandalwood oil, and borage oil was reported (11,14,16,18). Sunflower seed oil was shown to have both anti-inflammatory and barrier-repairing effects (35). In some studies, it was determined that olive oil is harmful to the skin barrier, sunflower oil protects the integrity of the stratum corneum, does not cause erythema and improves skin hydration (36). Natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of pure coconut oil were reported (37). While good results were obtained with sandalwood oil, which is preferred in some countries, borage oil was not found to be different from placebo; so borage was preferred very little (38). In this study, oils were the most used complementary treatment after vitamins and were used by 47% of the patients. This may be due to the fact that oils are thought to be a natural moisturizer. The use of olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and black cumin oil was similar to other studies in our country. The use of oil varies according to different cultures. While similar oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, and black cumin oil are mostly preferred in Malaysia, the oil usage rate is very low in some countries such as Denmark (22,28).
Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Two Tea Tree Oil-Based Formulations in Patients with Chronic Blepharitis: A Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2020
Sule Berk Ergun, Gulistan Sanem Saribas, Sait Yarayici, Zubeyir Elmazoglu, Aziz Cardak, Candan Ozogul, Mustafa Necmi Ilhan, Cimen Karasu, Ozlem Evren Kemer
The natural history of blepharitis is commonly characterized by intermittent episodes of inflammatory exacerbations, and as far as we know, a limited number of studies on tear cytokine analysis in blepharitis and Demodex patients are present. To our knowledge, there were no studies in the literature in which TNF-α, the indicator of the chronic inflammatory response, and IL-6, which is known to increase at the intermediate stage of every type of inflammation, are evaluated before and after TTO treatment in blepharitis patients. It was found that tear TNF-α levels decreased after usage of both gels, while IL-6 levels were reduced significantly only in patients who used the advanced gel formula. Accordingly, previous studies showed that TTO treatment inhibits IL-1β and IL-17 levels in blepharitis patients.33,34 It has been also reported that IL-1β levels are reduced by the same treatment method as by Gao et al. (Weekly lid scrubs with 50% TTO and daily lid scrubs with 10% TTO).16,34 In the present study, it was discovered that IL-1β levels declined only by the treatment with the advanced gel formula, but patients treated with basic washing gel showed no significant decrease in the level of IL-1β. This finding once again supports the fact that the combined effect of the bioactive components serves more blepharitis control compared to the basic gel formulation. It is possible, since important benefits like promotion of wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of topical applications of the calendula oil have been reported.35,36 There is also another important constituent; Borage oil. It is derived from the seeds of the Borago officinalis, and contains high levels of essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids, which contribute to the therapeutic effects of borage oil.37 Topical application of borage oil in infants and children with seborrheic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis has shown to normalize skin barrier function. It has also proved to reduce inflammation38 and exhibit beneficial effects on the function of the skin and on the regulation of skin lipid metabolism.39,40 On the other hand, the number of patients in the above mentioned two studies33,34 are quite low compared to this study. Sufficient number of patients and the presence of different parameters in this study will shed light on the other studies investigating the mechanism of the immunological response to Demodex parasite.