CURATIVE EFFECTS OF CACTUS "OPUNTIA STREPTACANTHA" TO REDUCE PHOTO-INDUCED DERMATOSIS IN PUBERTAL MICE

Mohamed Nizar Zourgui, Sabrine Ben Lataief, Lazhar Zourgui* and Mohamed Amri

ABSTRACT

In traditional medicine extracts of plants (Cactus) are widely employed for the treatment of skin, epithelium wounds and mucous membrane irritation. Photo-induced dermatosis is the result of the harmful effect of UV irradiations on the skin. The aim of this study was to clarify whether O. streptacantha cladodes has a curative effect against the irradiations ultraviolet C (UVC). We examined the effects of cactus extract on skin damage including changes in cutaneous cover and histological modifications caused by long-term ultraviolet C irradiation. The extract of the cactus cladodes (50mg/kg every day) restored the normal tissular architecture of the skin irradiated better than that observed for the treatment by the MTX (0.5mg/kg/week). Our present study has shown that the irradiation of mice is made by their exhibition an ultraviolet hand lamp (UVC) of wavelength 254 nm evidenced by a significant increase or decrease of certain biochemical parameters.

Keywords: Opuntia streptacantha; Methotrexate; Ultraviolet irradiations; Skin damage; Dermatosis.