Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International

Aims: To investigate the efficacy of topical application of Cassia fistula L. fruit extract in hydrophilic cream for psoriasiform dermatitis on mouse model.
Study Design: Formulations containing fruit extract were prepared, characterized, and made available for in vivo animal study.
Place and Duration of Study: School of Biotechnology, International University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City from January to December 2014. Department of Anatomy, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City on October 2014.
Methodology: Cassia fistula fruit methanol extract at varied concentrations of 2.5, 3.75, 5.0, 6.25, and 0% (w/w) was entrapped in oil-in-water topical emulsion to produce different formulations. Chemically induced psoriasis-like skin in mice was performed, and psoriasis- inflicted mice were then individualized for time-tested topical regimens with prepared formulae. Dithranol 0.5% was served as standard anti-psoriatic treatment. Histometric analysis was conducted for outcome measures including degree of orthokeratosis and relative epidermal thickness.
Results: Investigation results revealed that most of the formulations containing methanol extract of Cassia fistula produced signiï¬cant (P<.001) degree of orthokeratosis with respect to control, wherein a medication with formula incorporating 6.25% extract had the highest efficacy (40.81±1.19%). Treatment with this herbal cream also caused significant (P<.001) decreases in relative epidermal thickness by 26.08±1.39%, which was more potent than the standard (51.57± 3.05%).
Conclusion: Treatment with Cassia fistula contained cream ameliorated psoriasis symptoms of the animals and prevented psoriasis worse. These suggest that Cassia fistula could have anti-psoriatic activity and could be further explored for psoriasis treatment.