Therapeutic potential of phloridzin carbomer gel for skin inflammatory healing in atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Phloridzin (PL), a natural compound derived from apples, exhibits diverse pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and anti-aging effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of Phloridzin Carbomer Gel (PL-CG) on skin inflammatory healing in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis (AD). In vitro experiments initially determined the non-toxic concentration range of PL in cells, established a cellular inflammation model by stimulating cells with histamine to ascertain the optimal therapeutic concentration of PL, and subsequently detected decreased mRNA expression levels of relevant inflammatory cytokines, interleukins, through RT-qPCR experiments following PL treatment. For in vivo experiments, an AD mouse model was constructed. Histopathological analysis, along with assessments of epidermal thickness, reduction in scratch counts on the back of mice, and healing rates of inflammatory areas, indicated that PL-CG facilitates epidermal tissue regeneration and wound repair, thereby accelerating skin inflammatory healing. Additionally, PL-CG was subjected to microstructural observation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and experiments were conducted to determine its optimal pH value, stability, viscosity, and the influence of different concentrations of carbomer gel on drug release. The study demonstrated that PL-CG possesses anti-inflammatory and antipruritic properties, as well as the ability to promote skin inflammatory healing. Compared to traditional corticosteroids, PL-CG exhibits a higher safety profile and fewer side effects, suggesting broad prospects for its clinical application in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.