Can Plant Adaptogens Hold the Key to Maintaining Skin Homeostasis and Treating Skin Diseases?

🔍 Key Finding Plant adaptogens can maintain skin homeostasis by regulating the skin HPA-like axis, influencing oxidative stress pathways, and modulating the extracellular matrix. This suggests potential for treating skin diseases and maintaining skin health through topical application of these plant-derived substances.

🔬 Methodology Overview

• Data Sources: Web of Science Core Collection (1999-2022), Patsnap global patent database (up to Sept. 2021)
• Search Terms: 109 plant adaptogens (see Supplementary Table 1) paired with “Skin disease,” “Dermatosis,” “Dermatology,” and “Cosmetic” for literature search; “adaptogen” in cosmetics field for patent search.
• Selection Criteria: Full-text articles and reviews related to plant adaptogens and dermatological applications. Patents related to adaptogens in cosmetics. Duplicates removed.
• Analysis Approach: Bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace (version 5.8.R3). Patent analysis using Patsnap database. Manual review and analysis of literature for mechanisms of action.
• Visualization: CiteSpace for bibliometric visualizations. Microsoft Excel 2021 for data analysis and visualization (annual publications, country/region analysis, keyword co-occurrence).
• Scope: Family distribution, phytochemistry, and pharmacological mechanisms of plant adaptogens in dermatology, focusing on both skin diseases and skin health applications.

📊 Results

• Plant Adaptogen Families: Plant adaptogens related to skin are most frequently found in the Araliaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae families.
• Active Ingredients: The most studied active ingredients in dermatological applications of plant adaptogens are phenols, volatile oils, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Ginseng, curcumin, and grapes are frequently studied plants.
• Skin Conditions Targeted: Plant adaptogens show promise in treating atopic dermatitis, acne, allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, and androgenetic alopecia. They also show potential for anti-aging, anti-photoaging, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, whitening, and anti-hair loss effects.
• Mechanism of Action: Plant adaptogens appear to work by regulating the skin’s HPA-like axis, influencing oxidative stress pathways, and modulating extracellular matrix (ECM) components.
• Publication Trends: Research on plant adaptogens in dermatology is increasing, with the number of publications exceeding 100 annually since 2018.
• Geographic Distribution of Research: India, China, and South Korea lead in the number of publications, reflecting their strong traditions of herbal medicine.
• Patent Applications: The number of patent applications related to plant adaptogens in cosmetics is relatively low but growing, with anti-aging being the most common claimed effect. The US and South Korea lead in patent applications.

💡 Clinical Impact Plant adaptogens offer a safe and effective treatment option for various skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, eczema, androgenetic alopecia) and skin health issues (anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, whitening) by modulating the skin’s HPA-like axis, oxidative stress pathways, and ECM balance. This may lead to wider adoption of plant adaptogen-based topical treatments as a complementary or alternative therapy for skin conditions, reducing reliance on corticosteroids and addressing antibiotic resistance.

🤔 Limitations

• Long-term use of glucocorticosteroids can cause many side effects.
• Increasing drug resistance of Propionibacterium acnes necessitates new acne treatments.
• Long-term use of corticosteroids for allergic contact dermatitis is not appropriate.
• Topical application of corticosteroids can lead to adverse effects like dermatome atrophy and capillary dilation.
• Limited research on plant adaptogens for skin conditions beyond expanding the scope of plants considered “adaptogens.”
• Lack of systematic in-depth studies on mechanisms of action and efficacy of plant adaptogens on skin.
• Need for experimental studies to determine the common material basis and biological processes of plant adaptogens’ effects on skin.

✨ What It Means For You Plant adaptogens offer a safe and effective treatment option for various skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis, by modulating the skin’s HPA-like axis, oxidative stress response, and extracellular matrix composition. Doctors should consider incorporating these readily available and well-tolerated plant-based therapies into treatment plans, particularly for patients seeking alternatives to conventional medications or experiencing adverse effects. Further research is needed to standardize preparations and dosages for optimal clinical application.

Reference Liu XX, Chen CY, Li L, Guo MM, He YF, Meng H, Dong YM, Xiao PG, Yi F. Bibliometric Study of Adaptogens in Dermatology: Pharmacophylogeny, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Mechanisms. Drug Design, Development and Therapy. 2023;17:341–361. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S395256