Assessment of Efficacy, Tolerability and Safety of Steroneo Skin Cream (Physalis Angulata Supercritical Extract) application for treatment of eczematous lesions: A Prospective, Open-label, Non-Comparative Study

Dermatitis or eczema, is an inflammatory reaction of skin characterized by itchy, erythematous, vesicular, weeping, and crusting patches.(2) It is also commonly used to describe atopic dermatitis (AD) or atopic eczema.Global prevalence of eczema is about 3.5% with over 230 million people affected in 2010 (3.5% of the population).The lifetime clinician-recorded prevalence of eczema has been seen to peak in infancy, with female predominance of eczema presentations occurring during the reproductive period of 15–49 years. There is no known cure for eczema and the treatment aims at controlling symptoms by reducing inflammation and relieving itching. Moisturizing agents or emollients and topical steroids form the mainstay of management of eczema in most cases. Topical corticosteroids form the mainstay of treatment for many skin conditions. If used appropriately, they are safe and effective. However, on many occasions patients self-medicate thus increasing the risk of local adverse effects, poor clinical response and treatment failure. The most frequent adverse effects include atrophy, striae, rosacea, perioral dermatitis, acne, and purpura. Less frequent adverse effects include hypertrichosis, pigmentation alterations, delayed wound healing, and exacerbation of skin infections. Also, the steroids can cause effects such as immunosuppression, cell turn-over reduction, tissue atrophy, extracellular matrix degradation, drying and, as a consequence, premature and/or exacerbate aging which is a cause of concern. Physalis Angulata (Cutleaf Ground Cherry), a native plant to tropical America, now widely distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. It is an erect, branched, annual plant growing from 10 - 100cm tall. It harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, and also for medicinal use. Physalis angulata is known for its antimalarial, anti-inflammatory and post-partum treating properties. It contains physalins and withanolides. Pharmacological studies have shown anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-nociceptive, antimalarial, anti-leishmanial, immunosuppressive, anti-asthmatic, diuretic, and antitumor activities