Open Access

New insights in vitiligo treatments using bioactive compounds from Piper nigrum

  • Authors:
    • Bianca Mihăilă
    • Rodica Mihaela Dinică
    • Alin Laurențiu Tatu
    • Olimpia Dumitriu Buzia
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: November 16, 2018     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6977
  • Pages: 1039-1044
  • Copyright: © Mihăilă et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Although vitiligo is one of the most frequently occurring depigmentary disorder, its pathophysiology is still not fully clarified, resulting in the incapacity to find a targeted cure. Most of the treatment options available at the time have an anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive effect, influencing the immune factor in vitiligo but without having a direct effect on melanocyte differentiation, migration or proliferation. This study shows that Piper nigrum (PN) extract and its main alkaloid, piperine, promote melanocyte proliferation in vivo, being consistent with previous study. A PN fruit extract and pure piperine were integrated in two different ointments and tested on human subjects affected by vitiligo. A number of 9 areas were treated: 3 using the extract, 3 using pure piperine, 1 using travoprost solution, and 2 using an association of travoprost (prostaglandin F2α analogue) solution and our products. Pigmentation was achieved in all the treated areas. The extract caused faster and more remarkable results than the pure piperine. The association of the travoprost solution speed up the process and changed the pigmentation pattern, especially when associated with the PN extract. Our early studies suggest that PN extract may represent, in the future, a new treatment option for vitiligo, especially considering the mild side effects of the tested products and the reduced amount of time needed for repigmentation. However, more studies are needed to validate this experimental data.
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February-2019
Volume 17 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Mihăilă B, Dinică RM, Tatu AL and Buzia OD: New insights in vitiligo treatments using bioactive compounds from Piper nigrum. Exp Ther Med 17: 1039-1044, 2019
APA
Mihăilă, B., Dinică, R.M., Tatu, A.L., & Buzia, O.D. (2019). New insights in vitiligo treatments using bioactive compounds from Piper nigrum. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 17, 1039-1044. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6977
MLA
Mihăilă, B., Dinică, R. M., Tatu, A. L., Buzia, O. D."New insights in vitiligo treatments using bioactive compounds from Piper nigrum". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 17.2 (2019): 1039-1044.
Chicago
Mihăilă, B., Dinică, R. M., Tatu, A. L., Buzia, O. D."New insights in vitiligo treatments using bioactive compounds from Piper nigrum". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 17, no. 2 (2019): 1039-1044. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6977