Scars
The plant Helichrysum italicum has been found particularly effective for the external treatment of burns, scars, sub-skin hemorrhages, and bruises. The most prominent effect is that of reducing inflammations, such as in an induced mouse ear oedema test (Sala et al, 2001). The ingredients responsible for this activity may include various Flavonoids (e.g. Facino et al, 1988) ; and acetophenone glucosides (Sala et al, 2001). We believe that various phytosteroids (as in Mezzeti et al, 1970) are involved as well. Additional active ingredients include: neryl acetate (Bianchini et al, 2000), beta-salinene and gamma-curcumene (Roussis-Vassilios et al, 2000). This plant has been found to act as a free radicals scavenger (Facino et al, 1990) and as an inhibitor of mutations (Idaomar et al, 2002). It also possesses some anti-bacterial activity (Toms et al, 1990; Nosro et al, 2001).
It contains italidione, which binds to fibrin, thereby un-clogging blood vessels (Franchomme and Penoel, 1991).
It appears that in healing scars, the plant helps by allowing small blood vessels around the scar to supply collagenase, thus breaking the accumulated collagen in the scar.
References
Bianchini, et al, “Composition of Helichrysum italicum g. Don Fl. Subsp. Italicum Essential Oil from Corsica”, Flavour & Essence Journal, Jan-Feb 2001, 16 (1), 30-34.
Facino , R. M., Carini, M., Mariani, M., Cipriani, C. (1988) Anti-erythematous and photoprotective activities in guinea pigs and men of topically applied flavonoids from Helichrysum italicum G. Don. Acta Therapeutica, 14 (4), 323-346.
Facino, R.M. et al, “Phytochemical characterization and radical scavenger activity of flavonoids fro Helichrysum italicum G. Don (Compositae),” Pharmacol. Res., 1990, 22(6), 709-721.
Franchomme, P, Penoel, D., L’Aromaherapiec Exactement, Jallois, Limoges 1991.
Idaomar, M. et al, “Genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity of some essential oils evaluated by wing spot test of Drosophila mlanogaster”, Mutat. Res., 2002, 513 (1-2), 61-68.
Mezzetti, T. et al, “A new triterpenoid lactone, alpha-amyrin and uval from Helichrysum italicum”, Planta Medica, 1970, Aug 18 (4).
