Abstract
Wilfried Dathe
Abstract
This investigation pursued the objective to offer an alternative therapy for the treatment of mycosis, intertrigo and other inflamed skin areas by a natural zeolite as microporous crystalline aluminosilicate embedded in a formulation of petrolatum and squalane. The basis for this formulation is the well-known Cuban zeolite with its high adsorption capacity for histamine, water, harmful substances and heavy metal ions [1] as well as squalane, which maintains elasticity and moisture of the skin [2] both components are considered to have huge potential in pharmaceutical industry. Petrolatum helps the formulation to adhere well on the skin surface. In the treatment of mycosis and intertrigo a total of 43 patients, who were suffering from these skin diseases in the period started from July 2nd and ended on September 29th in 2018, were treated at the Policlínico Julio Grave de Peralta and dialysis department of the Hospital V. I. Lenin, Holguín, Cuba [3]. Among them, 31 patients agreed with the application of the alternative therapy with Detoxsan® paste to overcome these dermatological disorders. The paste was applied semi-daily to the skin damaged by mycosis or intertrigo, respectively and every 5 days the patients had been controlled by the physicians with respect to the healing process. The observation period for each patient lasted 15 days. The symptoms of mycoses on patient’s hands (6 patients) seem to be improved more rapidly between five and ten days than on feet (18 patients) which lasted about 15 days. In all the patients, the skin damaged by mycosis could be visually restored completely during 15 days. Skin recovery in intertrigo patients was completed already within 10 days. No adverse health effects were observed for all the patients. The proven efficacy of Detoxsan® paste in mycosis and intertrigo was also tested in other cases of superficial damage as shown in the following case reports. A 74-year-old man suffered under chronic prurigo simplex with efflorescence on the whole left forearm and strong pruritus. Treatments for 4 months with bepanthen and antihistamine failed significant symptom improvement. Application of Detoxsan® paste improved symptoms, bandage torn off less often because itching decreased and after 5 months the arm was without disease symptoms although itching did not disappear completely [1]. A further possible application field of Detoxsan® paste is psoriasis. However, in order to see any improvement in symptoms of this skin disorder it takes significantly longer in comparison to mycosis and intertrigo and depended on the amount of damaged skin as reported earlier [1, 4]. Thus, in 9 of 10 patients a first improvement of disease symptoms was detectable after 3 weeks. In a further psoriatic patient the entire forearm was affected and it took about 3 months to overcome the clinical skin defects. Thus, application of Detoxsan® paste reduces the amount of inflamed skin in a time-dependent manner, yielding a clinically acceptable appearance, but establishing the persistence of healing requires longer application. The anhydrous Detoxsan® paste containing Cuban zeolite, squalane and petrolatum is able to fully repair skin damaged by mycosis, intertrigo, and possibly in psoriasis, too. While the skin is restored within 5-15-days in intertrigo and mycosis, clinical symptom improvement in psoriasis requires more time and depends on the amount of affected skin. The beneficial effect seems to be due at least partially to the high histamine and water adsorption capacity of zeolite, both of which are involved in inflammatory processes of damaged skin surface as well as to the squalane properties for maintenance of healthy skin. In sum, the damaged skin surface can be restored by Detoxsan® paste without additional pharmaceutical additives and no adverse side effects were observed.