Topical application of Terminalia chebula extract helps croton oil-induced dermatitis in mice

Numerous herbs have been used successfully in treating dermatologic disorders for thousands years and still widely used because it is easy to find, cheap and to avoid the side effects and complications of topical steroids. Terminalia chebula, commonly found in India and Southeast Asia, is thought to be effective for treating several diseases including inflammation and reported as an anti-oxidant. T. chebula extract was tested on croton oil-induced ear dermatitis. The antiinflammatory response was evaluated by observing redness, ear thickness and ear plug weight. The analysis showed significantly different thickness at the time of 30 minutes till the end, at 5 hours of experiment. Ear plug weight also showed significant difference between treated and untreated ears. Topical application of T. chebula extract on croton oil-induced mouse ear dermatitis can help reducing inflammation and could be a novel topical anti-inflammatory drug candidate.